Life is not simple
by Angelwings228
Summary: 5 girls, 5 guys, 5 sluttiest girls of the world, clubbing, knives, balloons, silly string, bazookas, bands...the list goes on. NejiTen, ShikaIno, GaaMatsu, NaruHina, and SasuSaku. T for the language and abusing of everyday appliances.XD
1. Chapter 1

WElcome to my second Naruto Fic! you saw the summary, the pairings so is there anymore i need to explain? Tobi please say the disclaimer!

"Yes! Tobi is a good boy and Angelwings228/shiro-chan does not own naruto!"

Enjoy peoples...

* * *

"Holy crap"

Two 16 year old girls in black, white, and green uniforms stood in front of a large building, their heads leaning back to see the whole of it.;

The girl with dark brown hair in buns whispered to the girl with short pink hair.

"Sakura...how the hell did two orphaned girls like us get into this school?"

"Tenten I have not flipping idea"

A sign the front of the main building read: Konoha Private Academy. It was one of the best schools Konoha had to offer, excelling in grades, martial arts, sports, performing arts etc.

Tenten and Sakura walked up the stairs and through the doors and into the office. Inside was a couple of chairs, a plasma screen TV, and a desk. The secretary behind the dsk had dark shoulder length brown hair and large eyes. She saw the two girls in front of the desk and looked up.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, we're new students here, Haruno Sakura and Tenten"

The secretary's eyes lit up.

"oh yes, Tsunade-sama said we'd have some new students today."

The secretary pointed to a door on the right and told them to go in. Tenten pulled the door opened and the two girls slipped in. In front of them was a blonde lady with her hair in 2 low pigtails. She looked up from her paper.

"Haruno Sakura and Tenten?" she asked.

Tenten nodded and the lady stood up.

"I'm Tsunade, your principle."

Sakura and Tenten shook her hand and she held out two pieces of paper.

"Here are your schedules. I made them the same because of your current situation. 2nd period has just ended so just go straight to 3rd. Your luggage will be sent to your dorms right away."

Sakura smiled and said thank you, forcing Tenten to do the same. The minute they were out the dor they unfolded the papers and read their schedules.

Homeroom

1st: History-Anko

2nd: Math:-Iruka

3rd: Language Arts- Kakashi

Lunch

4th: Science- Jiraiya

5th: PE- Gai

6th: Band-Kurenai.

The hallway was full with students crossing from class to class. Tenten and Sakura were too busy looking to notice the two figures coming towards them. They shoved past them and Sakura stumbled back, only to grip the elbow of Tenten who was, well, falling too.

"HEY! YOU TWO!" Tenten screeched, standing and aiming a fist.

"YEAH!" Sakura yelled, pointing.

The two guys turned, allowing the two girls to see their features. One had dark gravity defying hair and solid onyx eyes. The other had long dark brown hair that made Tenten want to ask him if he was gay. He had pale moonlit eyes that glared at them. The two glanced at each ther, smirked, then turned to walk away. Tenten fumed but Sakura held her back.

"I swear I'm gonna k-"

Sakura sighed and spoke.

"Tenten shut up will you?"

Tenten lowered her hand and straightened out her uniform.

"Fine but if I see them again I will rip them to shreds"

Sakura shrugged and led them both towards homeroom.

They continued to walk down the hall. As they passed whispers grew and Sakura twitched a llittle.

"Why?" she whispered to Tenten.

Tenten shook her head and halted in front of a room. She pulled the door to face…a paper shuriken. She jumped and caught it centimeter from her forehead. Sakura ducked past her and entered the room. As they walked past silence filled the empty space. They found two seats in the back of the room and sat. Seconds after the room started buzzing with talk. It seemed like the teacher had not come yet. Sakura pulled out a book to read while Tenten put her head down on her desk.

"-look, new girls-"

"-sasuke-kun-"

"-Neji-kun-"

"-urgh, stealers-"

Tenten was getting really pissed and was about to shove her chair back when a shadow crossed her desk. She looked up to see a girl with short violet hair and dark eyes. Tenten glanced over to Sakura to see her having a glare fest with another girl with long spiky red hair and square rimmed glasses. Tenten looked back and forth between the purple and redhead. She cringed they –now lets be honest- looked like sluts. Sakura smiled pleasantly up at them.

"How may we help you?" she asked, in a mocking voice.

The girls' eyes narrowed.

"What were" red head

"You saying" violet.

"To Sasuke-kun" red head

"And Neji-kun" violet.

There was a slight pause.

"Who?" Sakura and Tenten said at the same time.

The two girls in fron t of them fumed.

"Stay away from them" hissed the redhead.

Tenten and Sakura glared at them.

"Pleased to " said Sakura

"What ever you want bitch" muttered Tenten

The purple's face twisted into a scowled.

"Why you little boy stealing whore of a bitch ass."

Silence…

"THAT'S IT!" Tenten yelled.

Her fist was already aimed at the purpleheads face and she flew across the room. The redhead yelled. "AMI" in a really high voice and scrambled to her side.

"Yes, thank you for doing buisiness with us. Now please proceed to die and go to hell" Sakura called. Then she turned around to see if the teacher had come, then to Tenten.

"You alright?" she asked softly.

Tenten snorted. "As long as the slut is hurting, yeah!"

Sakura smiled at her best friend and sat back down. In that instance the door slid open and the teacher ambled in. He was a tall man with silvery hair, a black mask and a book. Tenten head to turn sideways to read.

'Icha Icha Paradise' she read scowling.

'_what a pervert'_ she thought.

The man walked up to hius desk and looked up frm his book.

"Sorry guys. You see there was this old lady and-"

"YOU'RE A LIAR KAKASHI SENSEI!!!" yelled a blond kid with big blue eyes. The class followed in suit until the teacher gave up. He looked at a sheet of papers on his desk .

"Yeah, okay, kids we have two new students up and introduce yourselves."

Sakura and Tenten strode up.

"Haruno Sakura" she stated. "I like books, rock music, etc. hate basically nothing except sluts." She directed that towards two certain people in the room.

Tenten stepped forward. "Tenten, not Temtem or 1010, just Tenten. Same things as Saki but just add sharp pointy things."

Kakashi nodded and waved a hand.

"Meh, do what ever you want"

Tenten and Sakura looked at him weirdly before sitting down. After a couple of minutes the talking resumed and Sakura had pulled her book out again.

"Nice job at verbally whippin their asses" said a bubbly voice.

Tenten looked up to see two blondes in front of her. The one who had spoken was a girl with platinum blonde in a ponytail and clear blue eyes. The other blonde, a guy, had sunny blonde hair and had cerulean blue eyes. The two looked similar but different. The guy stuck out his hand.

"Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Nice to meet you!"

Sakura and Tenten shook it and Naruto just kept rambling on and on and on ando-

"Kami, Naruto. Shut up or else they'll lose all hearing" said the girl. "Yamanaka Ino"

Tenten grinned up at her. "You know thse two?" she asked, directing a hand to 'Ami' and the redhead.

Ino giggled. "yup, two of the 5 sluttiest girls in the world. The redhead is Karin and the crazy purple one is Ami."

"oh…"

Sakura spoke from behind. "and who's Neji and Sasuke?"

Naruto frowned. "Teme" he muttered.

Ino jabbed him in the stomach before turning back to the girls.

"Neji and Sasuke, along with Shikamaru, Naruto, and Gaara are the 5 most popular guys of the school."

Sakura cocked a brow. "Naruto?"

Ino scratched the back of her head and nodded.

"Yeah, but what can I say to fangirls"

Tenten and Sakura glanced at each other.

"Seriously, fangirls?" Tenten asked, laughing a little.

Ino nodded "Those two are the presidents of the Hyuuga Neji is Awesome and Smexy club and the Uchiha Sasuke is the Ultimate God club."

Tenten and Sakura gaped, not beleiving her at all. Naruto waved a hand in front of their faces.

"Yup! We all have fangirls. Dattebayo!"

Tenten blinked a few times before smiling scornfully. "That's why they got so pissed off."

Sakura agreed and the 4 talked until the end of class. When the bell rang they all gathered their books and Ino gestured Tenten and Sakura to follow.

"Its lunch next do you guys can sit with us" she said, smiling brightly.

"YEAH!" yelled Naruto.

The cafeteria was bustling with people and the 4 had to liiterally shove their way through the crowd, food, and many 'ow!' ,'that was my nail!' s. When they finally reached the far end of the massive room they rushed to a circular table in a corner with a window. Seated there were a redheaded guy, a girl with long navy blue hair, another girl with shoulder length light brown hair, and a boy with hair that reminded Tenten of a pineapple. All their backs were turned to them so they didn't expect Naruto to come running up yelling.

"HEY GUYS!!!!!!! HI HINATA!!!"

The blue haired girl jumped and blushed furiously while the browned hair one scolded Naruto for scaring her so much. Meanwhile Ino ahd gone over to the pineapple guy and had started to poke him.

Poke

Poke

Poke

"What is it troublesome woman." He whined.

Ino shurugged.

"There's some people I want you to meet. You to Gaara"

Ino turned to see Tenten and Sakura, hovering a few feet away. She sighed and dragged them over to the table.

"Guys, this is Tenten and Sakura. You two, this is Gaara, Shikamaru, Matsuri and –"

"HINA-CHAN?" Tenten finished.

Hinata looked up and her eyes widened.

"Tenten!" the two girls hugged each other. Once they let go Tenten held Hinata by the shoulders at arm length.

"Hina-chan you've stop stuttereing"

Hinata nodded

"Yeah, I've gotten over it but I still have my moments."

The two didn't notice Naruto creeping up from the side.

"Hey! Do you guys know each other?"

Hinata junmped and blushed again.

"Y-yeah, I m-met her a-at a martial art c-camp a few y-years ago" she stuttered.

Naruto grinned lke an idiot and started talking about ramen. Shikamaru was staring out the window and Ino groaned about Naruto being a ramen addict. Gaara was just looking at nothing while Matsuri tried to get him to say something.

"Hey Gaara. Yoo hoo emo kid"

"..."

"Gaaaaaaaaaaraaaaaa"

"...."

After a while she gave up and turned to Tenten.

"Hey" she said

"huh?" Tenten snapped out of her daydreams and looked at Matsuri "What?"

Matsuri rolled her eyes.

"Nevermind. Like Ino said I'm Matsuri."

Tenten nodded.

"Tenten and that's Sakura."

Sakura had gone to get food for the two of them and was still waiting in line.

"So how do you like the school so far?"

Tenten shrugged. "Its alright. Besides the sluts I mean."

Matsuri nodded wisely. "I get what you mean. Fangirls attack Gaara here practically every day. " when she saw Tenten's raised eyebrow she blushed.

"No,no its nothing like that. We've just been friends since we were really young."

Tenten continued to look skeptical but Sakura returned with their food. Tenten was abut to grab the tray with a chiken sandwich on it when Ino's hand jerked out of nowhere, knocking the tray out Sakura's hand. It went flying in slow motion but Gaara smoothly dive rolled and caught. He handed it to Tenten who took it wordlessly.

"O.o how did you do that?" Sakura asked.

Gaara didn't answer so Matsuri did.

"Because Gaara is a fucking ninja"

Sakura rolled her eyes and laughed before she felt Tenten tugging at her shirt who had felt Ino tugging at her shirt who was pointing into the crowd.

"What?" she asked.

Tenten shrugged and continued to watch Ino'd finger as it poked the air in front of her.

"and now the last two people of our gang."

Two peoplw shoved past people in an oh so familiar way.

Tenten's mouth opened in an 'o' and she pointed as well.

"It's Chiken-Ass and the Ice Bitch!"

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A/N: so...what do you think? is it too rushed? too stereotypical? ano....i triedd my best and this is only my second naruto fic so be kind please review!

ZE GREEN BUTTON NEEDS TO BE SLAPPED!!!!!


	2. Return of the Ice Bitch and ChickenAss

Hi guys..... this is chp 2!!!! Any way remember its still the first day in the middle of lunch and all so if it doesn't make much sense i am truly sorry.

This chapter goes to: tigers-and-dragons, XCherryOnTheTopX, Haylin-Chan, and sparkledazzleduez for the awesome reviews and to XDarkrider, Anime-Goddess-09, XCherryOnTheTopX, Shonen Vampward ,tigers-and-dragons, bali55, animefreakkk9, Haylin-Chan, and siny for putting this on alert/faves. You all get Naruto Character Plushies!

DISCLAIMER

Kisame: Angelwings228/shiro-chan does not own Naruto. Remember, fish are friends not food...(i love that movie...)

* * *

Recap

-Tenten shrugged and continued to watch Ino's finger as it poked the air in front of her.

"and now the last two people of our gang."

Two people shoved past people in an oh so familiar way.

Tenten's mouth opened in an 'o' and she pointed as well.

"It's Chiken-Ass and the Ice Bitch!"

* * *

Neji and Sasuke twitched but remained silent as Sakura and Tenten argued.

"It looks more like a duck and seriously the name 'ice bitch'?" Sakura asked.

Tenten glared "Well his hair is more fluffier so it looks more like a chicken's. Anyway its not my fault the gay one looks like he constantly has a stick up his ass."

"It looks like a duck's and they're both gay. What kind of straight man has hair like that?

Ino, Matsuri, and Naruto sweat dropped while Hinata cautiously went up to the to bickering girls.

"Um....Tenten?"

Tenten swiveled around to see the gang staring at her. She blushed lightly and sat back down. Sakura did the same. There was an ackward silence until Naruto finally broke the ice.

"TEME!!!!! THIS IS TENTEN AND SAKURA!!!" he screamed as he glomped Sasuke. Sasuke neatly avoided Naruto's flying arms and sat on the far side of the table. Neji leaned on the wall glancing once or twice at the table before turing away. Ino pulled Tenten's arm.

"Tenshi this is Sasuke and Neji. Neji's Hinata's cousin" she introduced

Tenten twitched at the nickname but managed t glare at the two. Neji and Sasuke smirked.

"You're two girls from before." Sasuke said.

"No shit sherlock" Sakura smiled, mocking him.

Tenten and Neji were currently having a glare off and all of them could feel the dark aura coming off the pair in waves. Tenten ground her teeth in frustration before turning away, ignoring him for the rest of lunch. Neji smirked and resumed his position on the wall while Sasuke folded his hands and rested his head on them. The rest of the gang didn't notice Neji staring at Tenten or Sasuke at Sakura.

_'hn, not a fangirl huh...'_ Neji thought.

Tenten was talking to Sakura, her nose scrunched up, pouting

Neji, in deep meditation, scowled at nothing and failed to notice Naruto's tackle. Naruto crashed into him and Neji flew, anime style, across the room.

"NEEEEJIIIIIII!!!!!!!" Naruto wailed "TEME WONT TALK!! HE'S BEING EMO AGAIN!!!!!"

Neji glared at him with his pale moonlit eyes and Naruto shrank back, muttering about more ramen.

Ino and Matsuri tried to make small talk and the girls talked about random stuff. It wasn't until later that Matsuri mention something.

"Its....to peacefull in here...." she mused

Ino agreeed. "It must be the lack of fangirls."

"But where are they?" Tenten asked.

Matsuri shrugged. "The guys usually get jumped during lunch and sometimes in the hallways but..."

There was not a single slut in sight.

"This is a miracle...." Ino breathed.

Sakura smiled and they all stood up, threw away any remaining food, and left.

As they walked down the hall Tenten pulled out her schedule once again but Ino shook her head.

"Nope. Today's a half day so we dont have any classes after lunch."

Tenten face palmed and sighed in releif.

"Thank Kami!"

They all exited the main building and walked down the path to the dorms. At the crossway the girls and guys split up after a couple waves, slaps, and 'good byes'

"So whats you room number?" Matsuri asked, entering the building that housed the girls' dorms. "Mine's 315"

Tenten looked down at the sheet Sakura was holding.

"Er…317-" she answered.

She was about to ask Hinata when Ino glomped her.

"Our dorm is 319!" she yelled as she continued to hug the two girls. (you know the thing with odd numbers on one side evens on the other so now their neighbors...)

"Ugh, Hinata how d you put up with her and the ice bitch?"

Hinata giggled a little and held a hand out to help Tenten up.

"Its not that hard." She said quietly.

Tenten snorted and shoved Ino off her.

"Hinata you've gotta be a freaking godess to be able to do this." she muttered

Hinata blushed and the 5 girls walked towards their dorms.

And when they got there…

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF FUCKING KAMI SAMA!" they all yelled.

Pooled around there doors were a massive group of fangirls, not to mention a couple of guys. They all carried banner and sign and for some reason sticks.

_"gaygaygaygaygaygaygay. We were right they ARE gay.'_ thought Tenten.

_"Holy shit"_ thought Sakura

_"MY CLOTHES DAMMIT?"_ rawrd/thought Ino

_"…" _was all that Hinata thought or said.

_"O.O"_ Matsuri deadpanned

The 5 girls tried to shove past but they did not get in without a fight.

"ATTACK!!!!!"

"NONONNONONONONONO!" Ino yelled "THE SLUT TOUCHED ME!!!"

Sakura grabbed Ino by the collar and dragged her inside their dorm, knocking fangirls/boys out of her way while Tenten and Matsuri continued to fend then off. Hinata was dragging the bodies to a corner, stopping once in a while to poke them and check if they were still unconsious. She sighed and tugged another one along. Tenten was still punching and yelling but it suddenly died out.

"Uh, the girls are gone. like disappeared…" she said scratching the back of her head.

Matsuri poked her head out and frowned.

"Nope you idiot, you killed them all…rabid bitches…"

Tenten looked down and sure enough were piles and piles of fangirls/boys, knocked out by her, Ino, Hinata, Matsuri and Sakura. She scurried inside the room and they slammed the door shut.

"UGHHH" Ino sadi frustratedly, pulling her long hair.

Matsuri and Sakura were still muttering about 'crazy,rabid, lunatics that belonged in a insane assylum' and Tenten and Hinata had fallen silent.

"To many enemies for a first day" Tenten complained from her sprawled position on the floor.

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"This is like living in hell…" Hinata said quietly

Once again everyone agreed.

"So what do we do now."

sigh

poke

blink

Ino suddenly sat up, flinging pillows and plushies everywhere.

"Ow!" Sakura cried as a pig plushie hit her on the head.

"I'VE GOT IT!!" Ino yelled, as if she had just gone through the Enlightenment.

"What is it oh genius one?" Tenten asked, clapping her hands together and mock bowing.

Ino stood up and with a gleam in her eyes she put her hands on her hips.

"WEGOTTAHAVEASLEEPOVER!!!!!"

"a what?" Hinata said.

Ino sighed impatiently and repeated in a very slow motherly tone.

"We need to have a sleepover" then she finished her sentence. "With all the guys too. you know, to get to know each other better.

Hinata turned beet red while Tenten and Sakura stiffened up but they didn't object.

"When?"

"NOW!"

"Where?"

"HERE! NOW MOVE OUT!" Ino ranted, commando style.

Hinata, Tenten, Matsuri and Sakura immediently obeyed while Ino marched them down the hall and out to the boys' dorms. Hinata crept up to knock.

"N-nii-san it-"

"Go away" came a stiff voice.

"b-but-"

SMASH

Tenten had lost patience and knocked down the door.

"You will let us in ice bitch" she growled.

Then they all saw the scene before them.

Naruto was hugging the door and screaming. "YOU KILLED IT! MURDER!"

Shikamaru was half asleep on a bed.

Gaara was hiding in a corner playing with...sand?

And Sasuke was sitting on top of Neji...with his fist pulled back.

All the girls sweat dropped and Sasuke got off of Neji something pink brushing across his face.

Tenten started hyperventalating.

"I TOLD you they were gay..." she muttered.

''Why nii-san? Why?" Hinata begged, her face a mask of pure shock.

Ino and Sakura had their eyes popping out of their heads while Matsuri was hiding behind an armchair.

Sasuke and Neji glared at each other then at the girls.

"Hn" they said simutaneously, as if the matter was closed. Key words: as if

Ino then came back to her senses and went to kick Shikamaru in the head.

"WAKE UP SHIKA-KUN!" she screamed in her childhood friend's ear.

Shikamaru jumped and screamed a very girly scream. Ino patted him on the back comfortingly.

"Its alright. I haven't come to kill you this time."

Everyone started at her weirdly but decided not to mention it.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and fell back asleep.

"Please?" Hinata asked. She had explained Ino's idea and was begging.

"Hn" went Sasuke and Neji

"..." Gaara

"zzzzzz" Shikamaru

"OKAY HINA-CHAN!!!!!" guess who...

Hinata blushed like crazy and shrank back into her blue jacket. Matsuri dragged Naruto away to help her ask Gaara and Tenten and Sakura stood akwardly in the middle of the room.

Hinata turned back to Neji and Sasuke.

"P-please, just t-this once?"

"Hn" they went again.

Hinata sighed and shook her head, her long navy hair swaying.

"I have no choice. TEARY EYES NO JUTSU!"

She slowly looked up and her pale eyes were full of large, sparkling tears. They didn't spill over but were dangerously close to. Her delicate eyebrows were knit together in worry.

"P-please?"

Sasuke turned away while Neji face palmed. No one, not even Hiashi, could withstand the power of Hinata's famed 'Teary eyes no jutsu'

Neji groaned and Sasuke said not a word but Hinata took it as a yes. The tears in her eyes mysteriously vanished and she smiled.

With that Ino proceeded to drag the entire gang over to her room.

* * *

A/N: I don't know if i really like this one but oh well. Sorry if its shorter than the first. The next chapter is called, of course: 'Welcome to the sleepover of hell.'

WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT THE SCREEN FOR? REVIEW!


	3. Welcome to the sleepover of hell: Intro

....! WARNING: this is not exactly a chapter but an introduction to a chapter. That's why it's so short.

* * *

**RECAP**

Hinata turned back to Neji and Sasuke.

"P-please, just t-this once?"

"Hn" they went again.

Hinata sighed and shook her head, her long navy hair swaying.

"I have no choice. TEARY EYES NO JUTSU!"

She slowly looked up and her pale eyes were full of large, sparkling tears. They didn't spill over but were dangerously close to. Her delicate eyebrows were knit together in worry.

"P-please?"

Sasuke turned away while Neji face palmed. No one, not even Hiashi, could withstand the power of Hinata's famed 'Teary eyes no jutsu'

Neji groaned and Sasuke said not a word but Hinata took it as a yes. The tears in her eyes mysteriously vanished and she smiled.

With that Ino proceeded to drag the entire gang over to her room.

* * *

Ino slammed the door shut. The guys had all landed in a pile and were just untangling themselves. The girls, on the other hand, were whispering very suspiciously in the corner of the messy dorm.

a few hisses, growls, and slappings (?) later Ino suddenly stood up and ran to her over sized closet. She started to drag something out but it got stuck halfway.

"Matsuri! Help me, dammit!" She yanked harder, revealing blue, pink, yellow, and green.

Matsuri sighed and proceeded to help Ino get out the materials she needed. Once the entire mess was thrown onto the floor Ino straightened her rumpled clothes and faced the curious onlookers.

"Like I said, this sleep over is to get to know each other better." she began, one hand on her hip, the other held palm up "And the best way is competition."

Matsuri had started digging through the pile and once she realized what the pile of crap was she smiled evilly.

"Battle of the sexes. Event 1: DDR"

* * *

TADA! I won't ask for reviews but the actual sleepover and the entire 'battle' will come out in...let's say...2 to 3 days.


	4. Event 1: DDR

HEY! ok, yeah, i lied...  
GOMEN GOMEN GOMEN!  
anyway this chapter may seem a repetitive-ish but oh well. Itachi, disclaimer please.

Itachi: Angelwings228 does not own Naruto or DDR even if i can pwn your asses at it.  
Sasuke: No, I pwn your asses at it  
Itachi: Hn

ENJOY!

* * *

"What!?" screeched Tenten. There was no way in heaven, earth, or hell that she was going to DDR it out in front of people he had just met. She eyed Sakura who had a frown on her pale face. Yes of course they knew what DDR was and heck yeah they were good at it but…it was just, well…embarrassing. Hinata was blushing like a tomato and Matsuri had gone over to plug in the device to their flat screen TV (Hyuuga)

"Alright!" Ino yelled "Battle of the sexes event 1: DDR"

There was silence

"Aww, c'mon guys" she whined.

The girls sighed and stood up. They knew what would come if they disobeyed. The guys just sat there. Glaring several different versions of death glares.

Matsuri stood up from her kneeled position in front of a mess of wires.

"If you win you get something" she bribed.

A new light shone in Naruto's eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"If you win…" Ino continued. "We chase away all of your fangirls for 2 months."

Naruto jumped up and screamed "GLORY HALLUJIAH!!" to the sky, er, ceiling. He looked expectantly at Sasuke.

"Teme if we win then we don't have to be bothered anymore. PLEEEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEE?" he pleaded.

Sasuke sighed and stood up. Neji and Gaara also said yes and with their dignities, freedom, and pride at stake they all walked over to the blaring lights. Ino squealed in delight and bounced. She giggled evilly and pointed to two people.

"Round one: Sasuke and Saki-chan"

Sakura glared at the uchiha who smirked back. He did not miss the faint blush wasing over the pinkettes face. The pair went up to the mats and clicked through the songs. After a couple of arguments later they settled on "Butterfly". They each chose their levels. Sasuke chose hard and smirked over at his opponent. Sakura glared at him and chose hard as well.

"3.2.1, Go" said the computerized voice.

The song was peaceful eerie. Totally not Sakura but it was DDR so…deal with it. Shikamaru fell asleep and the rest of the girls rocked back and forth to the soulful beat.

_a-ayai, a-ayai, a-ayai_

_wheres my samurai_

Sakura happily bobbed up and down to the beat while Sasuke dully stepped on the correct arrows.

The song continued and it ended after a couple of digital notes.

Beep

Beep

beep

Sakura: 6,542,854

Sasuke:6,678,392

"HA!" Yelled naruto.

Sakura sighed in defeat and proceeded to puch Sasuke in the arm, just for good measure. Ino's face fell but rose when she chose the next pair.

"Round 2: Naruto and Hinata"

Hinata gasped but stood up, blushing furiously. Naruto zoomed through the many songs on the list.

"Damn, I can't find any good ones" he muttered to himself. He felt a slight tugging at his sleeve and looked over to see Hinata. Her head was down and she had the tips of her index fingers touching.

"W-well naruto-kun. I have a s-song we could use."

Naruto smiled brightly at the nervous Hyuuga and handed her the remote. The expertly scrolled down and clicked on a song labled "The Black Knight" (A/N I love this song!!!)

"3.2.1Go"

The song was slow and steady. A piano was playing until a violin came in with high notes. Naruto was becoming nervous. He wasn't used to slow songs on this game. He just sighed and concentrated on the screen, his deep cerulean eyes set with determination.

_'Naruto can't do slow songs'_ thought Sasuke

"Were doomed" muttered Neji

_"ZZZZZZ"_ went Shikamaru

Suddenly the song dipped into a super fast electric guitar solo with drums that caused everyone in the room to jump. Naruto's eyes widened in something somewhat of happiness and shock. He had always though that Hinata was a shy girl but this song was utterly crazy. The violin came back and played with the electric guitar and drums in the back ground.

Right

Left

Down

Up

Left

Turn

The song ended and Hinata and Naruto ended with a pose. Hinata was glowing and Naruto was sweating. He droped to the ground.

"N-naruto –kun!" Hinata cried.

As she tried to help him up the screen 'beeped' steadily, signaling that theor scores were being counted up. After a final beep the speeding numbers halted.

Hinata: 6.999, 359

Naruto: 6, 754,109

Tenten pumped a fist in the air. Ino was taunting the guys while Sakura and Matsuri were doing a victory dance around Hinata, who looked like she was going to faint. Naruto came up to her and smiled.

"Never knew you were that good at it!" he exclaimed.

Hinata blushed deeper

"I've h-had some p-practice." She stuttered.

Naruto continued to blab on and on until Ino cut him off.

"Round 3: Neji and Tenten"

Neji smirked at the panda haired girl and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Bring it on Ice Bitch!" she crowed.

They went through the entire process of choosing a song and finally agreed to "Angel Wing" (nothing to do with my name. I love this song too)

"3.2.1. Go"

From the start there was guitars and drums.

_One day, nemurine oko sute_

_Kagamiwo medala_

_Senakai oki na haniga hetenjaino_

A man started singing and the pair moved in sync. Neji was moving a bit more stiffly while Tenten was acing every move with something else in her step.

Left

Right

Turn

Back

Up

More drums and guitars.

The song ended and Tenten beamed.

"Beat that!" she said.

"hn"

Tenten just rolled her eyes and waited for her score to add up.

Tenten: 7,829,567

Neji: 7, 825, 589

Tenten smirked in triumph

"not so high and mighty now are you Ice Bitch?"

Neji frowned and sat back down to sulk silently.

"Round 4: Gaara and Matsuri!"

Matsuri smiled kindly at her childhood friend who, of course, did not return it. She snatched the remote just before he did.

"I won't go easy on you Gaara" she said coyly.

"Hn"

"Stop 'hn'ing me!" she complained.

A click later the song "Garden" (another good one) was playing.

The scratchy voice of a male singer blasted from the TV. Seconds later the quick rhythym of an electric guitar and drums followed.

_hinoata gunu mate hashi ite_

_sukoshi hi kage deosu mouta_

_motoshi was itsumo kimino ite_

_walai na kalate outu_

Then came a guitar solo.

Left

Down

Up

Flip

Turn

Slide

The song slowly grew quieter, disappearing all together.

The TV beeped some more and the scores popped up

Matsuri: 7, 647,487

Gaara: 7, 647, 532

"NOOOOOO!!" Wailed Matsuri.

Ino sighed and put a hand to her head.

"so close" she sighed

Tenten face palmed while Sakura went over to comfort Matsuri in her loss. Mean while Gaara was reveling in his victory and did not hear Ino brush past him.

"Shika-kun!" she pulled him up by the ear.

Shikamaru groaned and sat up.

"What is it troublesome woman..." he muttered.

Ino put a hand on her hip and waved over to the waiting mats.

"We're to the only ones who haven't gone."

Shikamaru sighed and followed Ino She picked the song "Southern Cross" and a sort of battle like theme started playing

_Southern cross_

_Southern cross_

Ino was jumping all over the place, hitting every arrow that came by. Shikamaru, being the genius he was saw this and began to find a way to get more points. But Ino had known him for way to long. She frowned and started to do complicated combos and by the end of the song Shikamaru was pissed and glaring.

Beep

Beep

Beep

Ino: 9,578,479

Shikamaru: 7,389,478

Ino hopped around the room screaming "I WON I WON I WON I WON"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" came a voice from the other side of the wall.

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT" Ino yelled back.

Tenten smacked her upside the head.

"Ino take a deep breath. In, out, in, out, i-"

She was cut off when Ino started dancing again.

Hinata, who had been watching her friends bicker smiled.

"There's a reason why they call the Dancing Machine or the DDR champ of the district." She said calmly

Sakura raised a brow while Matsuri confirmed this. Once Ino had calmed down she took on her 'shut up and listen' voice.

"Ok, Event 1 goes to the girls." She announced.

The girls cheered and smirked.

"Awww, does the Ice Bitch feel bad?" Tenten cooed.

Neji glared at the girl as she danced with Matsuri. Sakura was currently poking Sasuke in the head, saying something about 'shrinking that over sized head and ego of yours' Ino had climbed onto the top of a couch and yelled "SHUT UP!"

Everyone grumbled but stayed quiet. Ino held out a hand in a peacesign and said.

"Event 2: Karaoke"

* * *

A/N How was it? I really don't know about this chapter. Anyway I have a request besides reviews. I need some songs on the characters for the karaoke. I've already got some of them but I really want your opinion in this, kay?

REVIEW OR ELSE I SHALL SEND OROCHIMARU TO SOME...


	5. Event 2: Karaoke, Dissing, and Kyuubi

LINS% 03:56

I'm SOOOO SORRY! I had this chapter typed up but with final exams and summer I couldn't update. This chapter was supposed to be two but I smashed it into one as a "I'm-really-sorry" version. So please enjoy and review!

"_Event 2: Karaoke"_

Tenten hid a small smile as Ino motioned to Matsuri who happily proceeded to drag out a huge karaoke system, large, speakers, a tangle of wires, and a hacking book of songs. Matsuri dumped this mess on the ground after flinging the DDR crap elsewhere. Tenten reached for the book and painfully hauled it into her lap. Sure she was no great singer but she had a good beat and could carry a tune. The real singer was Sakura, who was currently leaning over Tenten's shoulder with hinata to get a better look. Every singing contest held in their crazy 16 years had been dominated by her. Ino and Matsuri were desperately trying to untagle the wires but eventually had to call for Shikamaru's help. In a matter of seconds he had every red, blue, and yellow wire in its proper place and the karaoke system started with a trademark overdrive slam. The guys plugged their ears while Naruto fell anime style on the floor and started spazzing. The girls grabbed each other and fell to the ground, nearly blacking out from the impact.

"w-what the hell..?" Sakura stuttered as everyone slowly recovered.

Ino struggled up to explain the rules to the dazed teens.

"each for their own. Scores put together at the end" she said bluntly, still very dizzy.

Hinata who had taken the book from Tenten, was rapidly flipping through it, taking requests.

"Round 1:Gaara!" Ino said, holding a spare mike.

Gaara had been shunned out of the group of boys huddled in one side of the room. He glared furiously at them and if looks could kill all the guys would be having their guts slowly pulled out.

"How do they expect a boy who barely talks to sing?" Tenten asked Sakura. Sakura asked the question to Matsuri who passed it on to hinata who talked to Ino who just shrugged. Gaara stalked up to the TV and took a black mike. After careful consideration he fiercely punched in a number. The screen flashed and another overdrive blast later the title and lyrics popped on the screen. Below the lyrics was a space that measured pitch for extra bonus points.

"Michi-to you all"

A stringed instrument played along to a guitar. Gaara glared once more before the song really started. He opened his mouth and what came out was sure as hell not what the group was expecting. His voice was soft but the words were distinct. It was the type of voice that one would expect someone shy to have.

Daitai itsumo doori ni

Sono kado wo magareba

Hitonami ni magire komi

Tokete kiete iku

Boku wa michi wo nakushi

Kotoba suranaku shite shimau

Dakedo hitotsu dake wa

Nokotteta nokotteta

Kimi no koe ga

Warau kao mo okaru kao mo subete

Boku wo arukaseru

Kumo ga kireta saki wo

Mitara kitto

Nee wakaru desho? (Nee wakaru desho?)

The girls gaped in awe as well as several guys when the song ended. None of them had ever her Gaara sing. Ever. A score replaced the words on the screen.

Ding

97

Gaara calmy walked back to a bean bag and through himself on it.

"Go ahead" he muttered.

Ino gulped a little before going on.

"Round 2:Sakura"

After Gaara's performance Sakura did have to admit that there was going to be a bit of competition. She pressed in a song, one that she often sang when she was feeling down. One overdrive later the gentle strumming of a guitar filled the messy dorm.

Ah uruwashiki ai no uta

itsu no hi mo kawarazu ni

atashi no mae de zutto utatte ite onegai

kono mune ga tomaru made

kono toki ga owaru made

uruwashiki hito yo itsu made mo dakishimete

anata wa itsu datte muzukashii kotoba de

atashi e no ai wo kataru n' da

atashi wa tsuyogatte hatena MA-KU hikidashite

sono tetsugaku wo tokiakasu no

fukushikikokyuu de sasayaita

irotoridori no Love Message

shinpai shinaide atashi wa

anata no kotoba wo shinjiteru

Yes, Sakura voice was beautiful, angelic even. The girls mouthed the words to the famous love song as Sakura continued to sing. Tenten glanced over to the guys and saw them not as amazed. Key words : Not as. Although they seemed quite oblivious, Tenten could easily read Sasuke's face. That was one of her skills, as she excelled in all things directed to fortune telling and so on. Sasuke was dazed and his onyx eyes glazed over as they reflected the pink cherry blossoms on the TV screen. Tenten smirked. Yes, she would be matchmaking sooner or later. Sakura's song ended and she gripped the mike.

Ding

98

Tenten whooped as Ino and Matsuri slapped her high fives. Hinata smiled encouragingly at her while she sat down to the guys polite applause.

"Round 3:Shika"

Shikamaru sauntered up and with one hand in his pocket he randomly chose a song.

"Nageroboshi"

Shikamaru mumbled along with the lyrics, barely keeping his eyes open.

Sora wo miagereba

Hoshitachi ga hora matataiteru

Kono hoshi no hitotachi mitai ni

Samazama na hikari wo hanatte

Sou sou dakara boku mo

Hitokiwa kagayaite itain da

Me wo tojite kokoro ni chikau

Nagareboshi ni yume wo takushite

Koko wa itsumo no kouen

Yakei ga mieru

Suberidai no ue

Mukashi kara boku no tokutouseki

Nayami ga areba koko ni kurun desu

Ano koro no mama yume no tochuu de

Ima de kanaerarezu ni irun desu

Moshikashite koko ga mou shuuten

Nante yowane wo haite shimaisou na hi mo aru

Demo sono tabi ni omoidasu

Nagareboshi wo sagashite ano hoshizora

Chiisana koro no negaigoto

Ima mukashi mo kawaranai mama

Halfway through the song the music stopped abruptly and a large red FAIL appeared on the screen. Shikamaru threw the mike aside and passed out on the couch to excessive boos.

"That was pitiful" Ino scolded.

"YEAH!" echoed Naruto.

Shikamaru muttered something incoherent and Ino's icy blue eyes narrowed a bit. Much to everyone's relief they returned to normal size and she continued.

"Round 4:Ri-chan"

Matsuri took the mike from where it had landed and rapidly chose a song. She, as everyone observed, was obviously prepared.

"Life is a boat."

Before long a piano was playing soft chords and Matsuri started to sing in flawless English.

Nobody knows who I really am

I never felt this empty before

And if I ever need someone to come along,

Who's gonna comfort me, and keep me strong?

Nobody knows who I really am

I never felt this empty before

And if I ever need someone to come along,

Who's gonna comfort me, and keep me strong?

We are all rowing the boat of fate

The waves keep on coming and we can't escape

But if we ever get lost on our way

The waves would guide you through another day

We are all rowing the boat of fate

The waves keep on coming and we can't escape

But if we ever get lost on our way

The waves would guide you through another day

The song suddenly switched to Japanese, shocking some people. Matsuri's soulful voice echoed as she lapsed back into the familiar dialect.

dooku de iki o shiteru toomei ni natta mitai

kudayami ni omoe dakedo mekaku shisarete tadake

inori o sasagete atarashii hi o matsu

asayaka ni hikaru umi sono hate made

Matsuri let the last note fade before putting the mike away.

"Hey!" pointed Sakura "Where did you learn to speak English so well?"

Matsuri flushed as she fidgeted.

"G-gaara taught me"

Ino rose a brow while Tenten smiled deviously. A ding sounded and everyone turned back to the TV

96

Matsuri 'hmphed' a bit but was pretty pleased with her score. When she went down to sit she handed the mike to Neji.

"Round 5: Neji"

Neji swept up stoically and chose his song.

"Sign"

It started right away with a slow rock beat.

I realize the screaming pain

Hearing loud in my brain

But I'm going straight ahead with this scar.

His English was actually good, as expected of the infamous Hyuuga Neji, but he still carried a slight accent.

Can You Hear Me

Can You Hear Me

Can You Hear Me (So am I)

Wasurete shimae baii yo kanji nakunacchaewaii

Surimui ta kokoro ni futao shitanda

Kizutsui tatte heikidayo mou itami wa nai kara ne

Sono ashiro hikizuri nagara mou wo

Mirushinatta jibun jishin na

Oto wo tatete kuzureteitta

Kizukeba kaze no oto dake ka

Tsutae nikitayo kisuato tadokke

Sekai ni oshi tsufu sarete shimau mae ni

Oboeteru kara namida no sora o

Ano itami ga kimi no koto o mamotte kereta

Sono itami ga itsumo kimi o mamotterunda

Can You Hear Me? (So am I)

It had never occurred to Tenten that Neji liked rock. He seemed like a classical person. His voice was deep and smooth like you would expect but it carried something else. Sadness or frustration, maybe. As he neared the chorus Tenten noticed that his voice changed ands he sang without anything holding him back. During the song Sasuke had suing with him and the two voices melded in harmony that made Tenten and Sakura wonder. It took a while but the TV flashed.

98

"Not bad." Neji muttered.

"As expected from the Hyuuga Neji." Tenten mocked.

Neji 'hn'ed and flat out ignored her.

"Round 6: Me!" cheered Ino.

She bounded up and bounced a little and she eagerly waited for her song to start.

"Bluebird."

Habataitara modorenai to itte

Mezashita no wa

aoi aoi ano sora

Kanashimi wa mada oboerarezu

Setsunasa wa ima tsukami hajimeta

Anata e to idaku kono kanjou mo

Ima kotoba ni kawatteku

Michi naru sekai no

yume kara mezamete

Kono hane wo hiroge tobi datsu

Habataitara modorenai to itte

Mezashita no wa

aoi aoi ano sora

Tsuki nuketara

mitsukaru to shitte

Furikiru hodo

Aoi aoi ano sora

Aoi aoi ano sora

Aoi aoi ano sora

Ino's voice was like the ones before. Her's wasn't soft or angelic in anyway but it exuded confidence. Ino finished her song in a pose similar to her DDR one.

Ding

96

Ino pouted but got over it quickly. He through the mike, caught it mid-air, and pointed.

"Round 7: Sasuke"

Sasuke typically smirked and coolly took the mike. His song was a rock type as well.

"NamiKaze Sattelite"

'damn these guys love rock' Tenten thought

Hamidashita kaze wo atsumete mitai na

Nami no saki tsutatte kanata e kaketeku

Kakugo wa kimatteru

Michi wa tookute mo

Egaita mirai e tsuzuiteru

Haruka na koko kara kanata no kimi e to

Ano hibi no kaze to kakera wo todoketai

Sabishiku wa nai yo I

tsumo koko ni iru

Dokomademo kaze ga tsunaideru

Toki ga bokura wo sekashite

Kodou ga supiido agetetta

Yume no naka de mezamete mo

Onaji hikari wo sagashita

Kagayaku hoshizora no shita

Kazoe kirenai seiza to kage

Nemurenai yoru tadotte

Kasuka na hibiki motomete

Deai to wakare wo kurikaeshite monao

Boku wa konna ni mo kodomo no mama da

Awai imeeji nante

Michibata ni kori nagete shimaetara na

Sasuke sounded a lot like Neji's, smooth and well defined but with a hidden meaning. While Neji's had been something like sorrow Sasuke's was more like defiance and anger. For this song Neji sang in the background, making Tenten and Sakura wonder once more.

Ding

98

Sasuke scowled lightly at Neji, giving off the impression that a friendly rivalry had grown between the two.

"Round 8:Hina"

Hinata shook visibly she rose. Her DDR skills one but singing was not a strength in the shy girl. Tenten could tell that even after the several years that she had known Hinata, her confidence had not risen. Even Sakura, who had barely known for a day could tell that as well. Hinata's song started immediately as well.

"Hotaru no Hikari"

SHA LA LA itsuka kitto

boku wa te ni surunda

hakanaki mune ni sotto

hikari moete yuke

aitaku naru no SHOUTOU

naki taku naru no JUNJOU

natsu no hi ni tobi konda

hotaru wa kae ra nai

anata wa nani mo iwazu

kuchizuke o nokoshite

kizutsu ku mama una zui nare

kanashii hodo inochi yurameite ita

SHA LA LA itsuka kitto

boku wa te ni surunda

hakanaki mune ni sotto

hikari moete yuke

SHA LA LA itoshiki hito

anata mo miete iru no

mamayui tsuki ga sotto

ashita o tera shite

tsuyoku tsuyoku kagayaite

Hinata sang shyly throughout the entire song, her voice wavering in some parts. Even though this was a sort of degrading factor her voice complimented the song she sang. As time passed she grew more confident.

At the end Hinata trialed off, breathing nervously as she waited for her score.

Ding

97

Hinata glowed as the girls congratulated her and she snuggled in between Tenten and Matsuri.

"Round 9:Naruto"

"LETS DO THIS!" Naruto yelled as he leapt up and started dancing no random music that just happened not to be playing.

Blink

Blink

Blink

Everyone deadpanned but Naruto seemed not to notice the non plussed looks around him. All the exasperated teens gulped as Naruto giggled ALMOST HYSTERICSLLY while punching in his song. During the overdrive he air guitared.

Then.

We are fighting dreamers takami wo mezashite

Fighting dreamers narifuri kamawazu

Fighting dreamers shinjiru ga mama ni

Oli oli oli oh! just go my way!

Right here right now (bang! )

Buppanase like a dangan liner!

Right here right now (burn! )

Buttakitteku ze get the fire!

Right here right now (bang! )

Buppanase like a dangan liner!

Right here right now (burn! )

He yelled into the mike with the passion of a person who had been, A) pissed B) very pissed, or C) high/drunk etc.

Kewashii shura no michi no naka hito no chizu wo hirogete doko e yuku?

Gokusaishoku no karasu ga sore wo ubaitotte yaburisuteta

Saa kokoro no me mihiraite shika to ima wo mikiwamero! (yeah! )

Ushinau mono nante nai sa iza mairou!

We are fighting dreamers takami wo mezashite

Fighting dreamers narifuri kamawazu

Fighting dreamers shinjiru ga mama ni

Oli oli oli oh-! just go my way!

Naruto finished the song, somehow ending up on the floor. As predicted he had managed to butcher the English language but he was still as oblivious as always. Panting, he dragged himself up in time to her the ding

95

"Not as bad as shikamaru!" Naruto countered at the skeptic looks.

"Round 10: Tennie!"

Tenten frowned at the unfamiliar nick name. Ino, in returned stuck her tongue out at her. Tenten swiftly located her song. Like Sakura's this was a song she listened to when she was lonely or sad.

"Turning Saddness to Kindness"

Tenten inhaled.

Sousa kanashimi wo yasashisa ni

Jibun rashisa wo chikara ni

Mayoinagarademo ii arukidashite

Mou ikkai mou ikkai turning sadness into kindeness

Dareka no kitai ni zutto kotae

Homerarerunoga suki nano desuka?

Naritai jibun wo surikaetemo

Egao wa itsudemo suteki desuka?

Hajimaridake yume mite okiru

Sono saki nara itsuka jibun no ude de

Souda daiji na mono wa itsumo

Katachi no nai mono dake

Te ni iretemo nakushitemo

Tenten's voice wasn't anything special but it was different. She stood out from the others in a way different from Sakura, Ino, Hinata, or Matsuir. She sang with her all, knowing that she was probably the worst out of the five friends. Yet, her voice was free. It was the sound of pure freedom.

Sousa kanashimi wo yasashisa ni

Jibun rashisa wo chikara ni

Mayoinagarademo ii arukidashite

Mou ikkai mou ikkai

Zurui otona wa deau tabi

Atama gohashi na sekkyou dake

Jibun wo sunao ni dasenaku natte

Kizutsukinagara sugu ni togatte

Atarashii kaze mikata ni tsukete

Sagashite iinda itsuka aoi tori wo getting the new wind on your

Side

It's now okay to search for the blue bird

Souda daiji na mono wa itsumo

Katachi no nai mono dake

Te ni iretemo nakushitemo

Kizukanumama

Half way through the song Naruto started air guitaring and Sakura joined him. At the end Tenten held out the high note . Her face fushed as she waited.

Ding

97

She smiled brightly and was consumed by girl talk. Neji eyed her with shock. She sang with such, well, freedom. Exactly what he himself was looking for but couldn't find. Neji felt a slight pang of envy towards her. What did it feel to have a family who loved you he sort of thought. He could never picture this in the Hyuuga Clan. It just didn't exist in his world. In fact, the only connections he had were formalities and Hinata. He and Naruto lived with Sasuke and his older brother Itachi. All of them were orphaned and had been somewhat close. Gaara lived with his older sister and brother, both in college, and Shikamaru just lived with his family. Neji was snapped out of his thought when Ino spoke loudly over the crowd. Actually she was on the floor rolling and laughing. You know in that i-just-kicked-your-ass-and-its-really-funny kind of way. It was quite clear that the girls had won again. Naruto broke down and went to sob in a corner. Shikmaru fell asleep again while Neji, Sasuke, and Gaara just 'hn'ed and tried to ignore the girls who were screaming.

"SHUT THE FUCKING HELL UP YOU SON OF A BITCH!" the same person from before yelled.

"OH YEAH? WELL I DON'T GIVE A FUCKIN SHIT ABOUT WHAT YOU FUCKING THINK!"

silence

gasp

dot

blink

hn

hiccup

There was a slight interruption to the sounds of evident shock as Ino blushed and cleared her throat.

"Right. Um…" she looked around "Event 3: Dissing." She said.

That cheered everyone up quite a bit. There was nothing better in the world than being allowed to flame people with their permission. Sakura cracked her knuckles and Tenten rubbed her hands together.

"Alright, lets get started."

And from that point on all hell exploded.

"You suck"

"Well you suck even more."

"Stupid"

"Dobe"

"TEME!"

"I wasn't talking to you Naruto"

"Oh"

"Ice bitch"

"Panda"

"Say what"

"Hn"

"Stop 'hn'ing me!"

"Whatever"

"Chicken-Ass"

"No I say it looks more like a ducks"

"Exactly! Someone who finally agrees with me!"

"Why thank you"

"I still think it's a Chicken"

"Geez, all of you are troublesome, annoying, stupid, have no sense, re-"

"Shikamaru! When are you gonna stop talking about yourself? Your being really self conscious."

"zzzzzzz…."

"uh….Ramen tastes crappy?"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah you're right…ramen does taste like shit."

"OH NO YOU JUST DIDN'T!"

"oh yes we just did"

"GRRRRRRRRRRR"

"BOOOOM"

"Ack! You idiots! You've released the Kyubbi!"

"Kyuubi?"

"Yeah, the alternate Naruto that comes out when he gets really pissed."

"and…"

"Well, for one miss panda. Naruto broke a wall and my TV the last time we released Kyuubi."

"Seriously, blind man?"

"Hn"

"!"

"No! Not the kitchen!"

"Aw, shit he found where we keep the ramen!"

"oh no…"

"RRRRRAAAAAWWWWWRRRRRR"

"."

"Did he just eat one whole?"

"uh huh"

"THAT'S MY NAIL POLISH YOU BASTARD!"

"RAAAWR!"

"No!"

"CRAP!"

"SHIT!"

"WTH"

"zzz…"

Naruto flaied around spraying ramen sauce all over the large dorm room. Ino was tending to her nail polish while Tenten, Sakura, Neji, and Sasuke tried to calm Naruto down. Matsuri had once again been tasked with dragging the bodies of a fainted Hinata and a sleeping Shikamaru while Gaara just watched.

"HOLD HIM DOWN!"

"I'M TRYING!"

"RAAAWWWRRR"

and then there was a peaceful silence and darkness.

Why?

The Will of the Kyuubi or maybe Naruto's love for ramen had caused the power lines to fail. As for the silence, everyone in the room had been knocked out by Naruto.


	6. Band and a stick

LINSrerun 04:38

ITS ALIVE! Hey everyone. I was reading through my reviews and I realized I hadn't updated n a really long time…I got guilty so I'm staying up until 1:30 in the morning to type it up! It's back and I'll try to update as fast as I can but here is warning. I have the tendency to get banned from my laptop so it depends when I can sneak on. But as I said I'll try. This chapter goes to: Nichi Nara, Tobito Uchiha, Blaing Blossom, XThe CherryOnTopX, Rose Tiger, Dreaming101, Haylin-chan, SemperFi123, and InsaneNinja. Why? Because your reviews made me want to write again. :D owe you guys one!

Eh heh heh

ENJOY!

"Unh…"

Tenten blinked her eyes open only to be hit by bright sunlight. After cursing the sun to hell she took notice of her surroundings.

"WTFH?"

As she said this she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, careful not to wake anyone. Off in one corner were Matsuri, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Gaara. Ino was near her dresser and she herself was collapsed on the floor with Neji, Sakura, multiple ramen wrappers, noodles, and powder. In the center of all this was Naruto, reveling in rameness in his sleep. For a second or two Tenten was epically confused. Then it all came back to her.

INSERT FLASHBACK

"!"

"No! Not the kitchen!"

"Aw, shit he found where we keep the ramen!"

"oh no…"

"RRRRRAAAAAWWWWWRRRRRR"

"."

"Did he just eat one whole?"

"uh huh"

"THAT'S MY NAIL POLISH YOU BASTARD!"

"RAAAWR!"

"No!"

"CRAP!"

"SHIT!"

"WTH"

END FLASHBACK

Tenten face palmed and groaned. No wonder she was aching all over. Then she noticed something warm on her lower abdomen. When she looked down she saw a pale hand connected to a pale arm connected to a shoulder/neck, connected to the pale, sleeping face of Hyuuga Neji.

'for cereal? Out of all the places to land?" she grumbled. Blushing furiously she crawled out from under the weight. Once she had inspected the room more carefully she came to a conclusion. Yes, she had died and gone to hell. Probably. As her chocolate brown eyes swept the span of the destroyed dorm she noticed a blinking red cross. A growing feeling of dread engulfed the panda haired girl.

'please, no. you've gotta be kidding me. '

7:35

This time Tenten lost it.

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTT!" she mind wailed,

In frustration she kicked the nearest this she could find, which just happened to be Neji, With a start he leapt up, one hand clutching his now pounding head,

"What the hell was that for?" Neji growled in an tired voice.

Tenten ignored the bleary eyed glare and wildly pointed to the digital clock.

"That" she said bluntly.

The male Hyuuga seemed to go into a state of shock.

"Aw, shit"

"Yes indeed"

With that the two set about waking their friends. Kicking, becoming a quick favorite, was the method Tenten used to wake Sasuke up.

"Wake up duck-ass"

She kept nudging said person until he flipped over and glared. Kneeling she poked him.

"That's right Ducky-chan. Now get off of Saku and get your Duck ass up."

Sasuke blinked and hurriedly scrambled off of the pink hair girl.

"I still say it's a chicken." Came a voice.

Sakura had woken from the movement and she too was getting up Shifting onto one elbow she looked around.

"What happened…"

Tenten waved nonchalantly at her as she expertly twisted her hair into their trademark buns.

"Talk later. Get ready now." She said.

Around the room everyone had started to grasp the situation. Food was flying, clothes being dragged, people doing their hair, screaming and at the center of this hurricane lay Naruto, oblivious to the panic. Ino glanced at the clock.

7:55

Cursing, all of them rushed for the door, prepared to run. Suddenly Hinata's voice spoke up.

"W-what about N-naruto?"

There was a dead pause.

Blink

Frown

Think

Think

Think

Nothing

…

"OH JUST LEAVE HIM!" they all yelled at once.

All nine of them slipped out the automatic door. They sprinted across the grass and bricks, reaching the main building.

7:57

They crammed through the door and separated down the halls.

7:59

Neji, Tenten, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Sasuke all went down one and stopped in front of a door.

8:00

Neji slammed it open, nearly taking it off.

…

The same students from before were lounging around. There was no teacher in sight. Sasuke sighed a ran a hand through his already spiky hair.

"should've known" he muttered.

Not a second later the three males were ambushed by fangirls. Fighting their way through the wave of girls they managed to snag seats next to each other. Neji was in front of Tenten, Tenten next to Sakura, Sakrua behind Sasuke and Shikamaru next to Tenten.

Knowing how late Kakashi was going to be the group relaxed. Shikamaru fell asleep even before his head ht the desk as Sakura and Tenten amused themselves by shooting bits of paper at fangirls.

"ouch!"

"score one for Tenten!"

"hmph"

"owie!"

"hahahahahaha-"

"Eck hem"

The entre class turned at once to see Kakashi leaning against the door frame.

"That's enough" he said in a deathly calm voice.

The silver haired teacher walked over to his desk and plopped down in his chair. When he heard no sound he looked up to see all his students sitting quietly and sneaking glances up at him. Sighing Kakashi pulled out his infamous book and his eyes curved into the crescent shape of a smile.

"Go ahead" he said, flashing a peace sign.

A huge sigh of relief swept the room and chatter replaced the empty space. The rest of homeroom and 2 period (Kakashi does both homeroom and language arts) were spent talking, throwing, sleeping etc. When the bell rang the group scooped their books up and exited. Sasuke and Sakura split off to go to history, Shikamaru to math and Neji and Tenten to science.

"Hey Ice Bitch, care to tell me where the room is?" she asked in a singsong voice.

"Hn"

"hn?"

"Hn"

"Aw C'mon…"

Neji refused to speak but Tenten's stubbornness got to him and he rolled his eyes in defeat. Tenten beamed and they made it to 3rd period well before the bell rang. Just like before Neji was engulfed in fangirls.

"Does this always happen?" Tenten said, neatly sidestepping a lunging fangirl.

Neji, who was still struggling replied "Yes"

From their position they could both see Ino and Naruto in the back of the room. When they had reached the two blondes they could see that Naruto was pouting and that Ino was scolding him. In the middle of their argument they didn't notice the two walk up to them.

"Geez Naruto, stop moping." Ino

"Hmph. I don't wanna" Naruto

"its your own fault you got left behind"

Ino punched him in the arm.

"Life is soooooooo not fair" he grumbled.

"You just noticed?" muttered Tenten.

Ino looked to see her friends and her features settled as she greeted them.

"Hi Neji, Tenten, Got Jiraiya too?"

Tenten was going to ask who the hell Jiraiya was when a finger nearly stabbed her eye out.

"YOU!" yelled Naruto.

He was accusingly pointing at the pair, eyes narrowed in this sort of expression: O.o. Tenten gently shoved the finger aside while Neji smirked.

"Hi Naruto" Tenten said calmly.

Just as Naruto opened his mouth a blur of white appeared.

"Why hello" said a cheery voice.

The man, no, teacher in front of the four was starting to scare Tenten.

"Looking as lovely as usual ladies." He commented. "You too Naruto" he added waiting for the blonde to figure out the insult.

"HEY!" yelled Naruto. "I'M AS STRAIGHT AS YOU ARE!"

The entire class shushed and stared weirdly at him. Naruto crossed his arms and sank back into his seat.

"o..kay…." said Ino with Tenten.

Neji smirked "How do you know how straight he is?" he whispered.

The two girls giggled while Naruto sank further into the plastic chair. Jiraiya sighed and strolled to the white board n front of the room.

"Jiraiya-sensei" he sad, spelling as he spoke." And yes am as straight as a board"

Turning back to the kids he started the lesson.

"In my class we will be learning about the human body, life cycle, and reproduction system. For today you'll be needing a partner."

There was an exchange of hurried whispers until Jiraiya spoke again.

"Nope. You'll partner with the person next to you."

Tenten did not like the maniacal glint n her sensei's eyes and she gulped as she looked to her left.

Crap.

A while later Tenten walked out blushing furiously. She had had to sit with the ice bitch and listen to her mega perv sensei rattle on endlessly about the human reproduction system complete with diagrams. Wincing uncontrollably she followed  
Neji to her next class. For 3rd period Shikamaru and Gaara joined the 4 for math with Anko. After that was lunch. As they all filed into the cafeteria they got their food and claimed their respective table. A little later Sakura, Sasuke, hanta, and Matsuri joined them. Naruto slammed his head on the table causing everyone to jump and Sasuke's tomato (tomatoes rock and you know it! :D) to fall on the ground.

"Mr. Tomato!" he cried in horror.

Everyone looked had him as he picked up the red fruit, holding it close.

"continue" he said coldly, daring anyone to question has tomato fetish.

Naruto banged his head once more.

"I can't do this anymore!" he wailed.

Anko had given him extra homework when he failed a 3-question quiz. Tenten watching the sulking blonde scooped some Jell-O into her mouth.

"Don't worry you can't be that stupid…can you?" she said, swallowing.

She looked up and concluded. "…maybe you can be that stupid."

"Its alright Naruto" Hinata patted said person. "You're just special."

Everyone burst out laughing and Hinata blushed. Naruto pouted and solemnly flick a bird at his friends.

"Naruto!" gasped Matsuri in mock anger.

"Hmph."

The group left him alone to sulk.

"So" asked Sakura. "What's next?"

Matsuri spoke up. "You , Ice Bitch, hina, and shika have got social studies while me, Gaara, Duck Ass, Saku, and Ino have ELA."

"Then we get an elective of our choice and a sport" Ino filled.

"oh goody" said sakura and Tenten in unison.

"I think we all have band" Hinata added.

Everyone blinked and confirmed that they did have band. Considering the glances (in Neji, Sasuke, and Gaara's case smirks.) Tenten concluded that band had to be pretty good.

"Finally a good class" she thought.

Not question their friends, Sakura and Tenten left with them and they all proceeded to 5th period.

TIME SKIPPITY SKIP SKIP

Tenten paused outside the door labeled BAND. A lot of kids had signed up for t and the large room was near packed. From where she stood Tenten could see her friends and they waved her over. The bun haired girl wove through the crowd and sat just as the teacher entered. She was a tall woman with wavy black hair and bright red eyes. Despite the eyes she seemed loved by all of her students. Clapping her hands, she got the classes attention.

"Kay, I'm Kurenai-sensei and this" she waved around the room, gesturing to instruments, sound systems, etc. "is band. You'll be given two options. A)" she held up one finger "You'll form a band of your own. Any type of music will do as long as the band in functioning. And B)" she held up another finger to form a peace sign. "You'll join our symphony. You'll have all of class to recruit and the sign up sheets are in the back." With that she let them free.

Most of the kids went straight to the symphony as they had the year before but there were already several bands.

They must already be in function Tenten thought.

Tenten observed the room but one group caught her eye. It was Neji, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Gaara and Naruto. They were idling around bored. Tenten tugged at Hinata's sleeve.

"They're a band?" she whispered.

All the girls looked to where Tenten's finger was pointing.

"Y-yeah" said Hinata "Since last year"

Ino and Matsuri nodded and the other three started nodding. And nodding. And nodding. Until Ino stopped.

"I'VE GOT IT!" she yelled, lighting up.

Déjà vu anyone?

The girls waited in dreaded silence.

"well.." start the blonde "I do know how to play bass" she suggested hoping that the others would catch on.

Matsuri was first "huh? Oh yeah electric guitar."

Then Hinata "Key board"

Sakura " electric guitar here" she and Matsuri slapped high 5s

Tenten "Drums. And we can all do vocals."

They all let it sink in, then Tenten stood up abruptly, causing her chair to topple over.

"I SAY AYE!" she yelled punching the ar.

"AYE!" chorused the rest.

She marched the group to the sign up sheets and started scribbling.

"Saku, me, Suri, hina, Ino, guitar, drums, bass, key board." She spoke as she wrote. "5, female, sophomore, uh, oh crap."

She looked up and scratched her head. "we need a name"

Sakura the ever so lyrical one plucked the pen from Tenten's grasp and within seconds she had a name down.

Ignorant Bliss

"huh" they all sad.

And as they looked at the loopy script they couldn't help but like it.

Thus begins the start of Ignorant Bliss.

Later that day Tenten was walking to the gym where she had signed up for her sport. Kendo. She also did martial arts but she had heard that KPA had a really good team. She was still hyper from the predicament of started a band so she didn't really notice the door until she rammed into it. She stumbled backwards and was caught by someone.

"huh?" she mumbled.

She looked up to see a brown haired boy.

"you okay?" he asked, his smile shown small fangs.

"uh, yeah. Thanks. You going to Kendo?"

The boy shook his head. "Nah, I can't. oh I'm Kiba. Inazuka Kiba."

Tenten smiled. " I'm Tenten, just Tenten. Um, you can let go now."

Kiba looked down and hastily let go of the girl. Tenten in turn looked down at her clock and screamed. Kiba jumped and Tenten reassured him that nothing was wrong, she was just late. With that she said good-bye and ran off, leaving Kiba alone.

"That was weird "he said to nothingness.

Tenten entered the room and she dashed to what looked like the locker room for girls. Inside there were only 2 other girls. One had dark brown hair up in a messy bun and the other had short shoulder length hair to match her short height.

"um hey…" Tenten started.

"YES!" cheered the shorthaired girl. "ANOTHER GIRL! FINALLY!"

Tenten jumped back and sat on the bench watching the other girl jump. The brown haired one walked over, ignoring the spazzing one and stuck her hand out.

"I'm Hinamori Momo." She said kindly. "The other one's Kuchiki Rukia. Welcome to the Kendo club."

Tenten took the girl's hand and they shook.

"Tenten." She replied. "and exactly why is Rukia like this?"

Momo scratched the back of her head.

"Riiiiiight. Well us three are the only girls on the team or in the club so Rukia's just happy to have another girl."

Tenten understood. At her old school she was the only girl on the judo team and she got flamed a lot. The three girls changed into their gear and walked out to see the guys come out of their locker. All of them, including the girls wore helmets so you really couldn't tell who was who. They all lined up in height order, Rukia being last and waited for their sensei. Not 5 seconds after Tenten had settled down there was a bang.

"AND THE POWER OF YOUTH SHALL PREVAIL!"

There was a green blur that sped around the room to land in front of the line. Tenten had to use all of her will power not to jump. She had learned ages ago that you shouldn't show emotion in any type of martial arts. The green blur was their sensei. He reached up and pulled off his helmet to reveal the biggest, fuzziest, eyebrows Tenten had ever seen.

'thank god for this helmet' she said.

"ALRIGHT!" yelled the fuzzy browed teacher. "I AM GAI-SENSEI! WELCOMET O THE YOUTHFUL ART OF KENDO!TODAY WE WILL BE SPARRING TO TEST ABILTY AND SKLL YOU MAY NOT EVER TAKE OFF YOUR HELMET SO YOU WONT KNOW WHO YOUR OPPONENT IS. EVER. GOT IT!"

a line of helmets nodded simultaneously. Gai split the members into pairs and the sparring began. Hinamori and Rukia were paired off elsewhere and Tenten was left alone. There was only one other member left. The two glanced at each other and settled into position.

"newbie?" asked the muffled male voice of her opponent.

"That's right" Tenten replied.

The other person rushed at her and she maneuvered to block. Their katanas clashed but did not crack. Tenten grinned inside her mask. This was gonna get good. She hadn't practiced in a while but she could practically feel the life coming back to her.

"HAH!" she yelled, lunging.

The other person was pretty good too. He had excellent footwork and was strong. Really strong. But Tenten had light footwork as well and even if she wasn't as strong she could easily maneuver her katana. It looked as if she were dancing, really. It was sort of like a combination of the arts and Kendo. Tenten hopped back as the katana whooshed past her head.

'damn' she thought ' he almost got me.'

She ducked under and moved her right foot forwards, nudging her opponents a little. She used the opportunity to slide her katana up. She was quite positive that it would hit him when he bent back over into a matrix to avid the oncoming stick. Tenten was glad once again for the mask because it hid her shock. What was he? Some sort of fuckin ninja? Well, then again she was a ninja too. And Gaara. She didn't get to think much longer because the guy's katana was going for her head.

"MEN(1)!" he growled.

A little too early of course.

Instead of being hit in the head by the flying stick Tenten had avoided by pulling the same trick he had.

I am a fuckin ninja she smirked.

This continued for a while. They were both about the same caliber and so they decided to call it a draw.

"OK MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS! HELMETS OFF! AND NO PUNCHING KICKING KILLNG SLAPPNG OR ANYTHING ELSE!"

"why?" asked a random person.

Gai whirled around and they could all see the tears n his eyes.

"BECAUSE TS UNYOUTHFUL!"

blink

blink

blink

Everyone started taking helmets off but Tenten hesitated to pull hers off. It was the same with her opponent. Tenten sighed.

"Alright. On the count of three."

Her opponent nodded.

"one"

"two"

"three!"

the person tugged off his helmet to reveal…..Sasuke?

"DUCK-ASS?" Tenten screamed loudly.

She whipped hers off when she saw the raven-haired boys confusion.

"TENTEN?"

"YEAH?"

"TENTEN?"

"DUCK-ASS?"

"YEAH!"

"Tenten?"

Tenten heard another voice call her name and she whirled.

"ICE BITCH?"

"hn"

"hn"

"your not doing it right"

"shut up duck butt."

"its hn"

"hn"

"no, hn!"

"oh who cares"

Tenten didn't even bother to change. She just kept arguing with the two and they just walked out, leaving their gear and a very confused group of people behind.

Random chapter guys but keep reviewing. REVIEW! For the sake of…..uh….Itachi's death!


	7. Songs and Maddness

04:49

Hey, I'm back.

This chapter goes to Nichi Nara.

Thanks for the review and you are awesome!

Disclaimer: I really don't own Naruto. I wish I did but I don't. and I still wish I did.

ENJOY!

It was a week after the kendo incident and all the girls were in one of the clubrooms. It was in a small corner at the far side of school that no one ever came too. When they had first found it, it was damp, molding, and just messed up in every single way possible. It wasn't until hey had cleaned up and moved in a bunch of furniture (Courtesy of the Hyuuga family. They're loaded. Lets just make that clear. ) that they realized that the room was sound proof. Perfect for the band. Fate as Neji would call it. The room was large and had a huge white board hung up on one of the walls. After hours of scrubbing it finally came into use and was now covered in millions of scribbles, poems, rants, and doodles. Two of the four walls were pale beige, another black and the final a light teal. The white board was on the black one and a small couch, shelf, and fridge leaned against the beige walls. Before the teal wall was a small rise that served as a stage for all of their instruments. At one corner, surrounded in a plastic folding screen that created half of a hexagon, was a red, black, and silver drum set. Two electric guitars, one black, teal, blue and silver with a wave design, the other black, red, pink, and silver with cherry blossoms up one side, stood propped up at the center. Another guitar, a black, violet, lavender, and white bass with an intricate butterfly slapped on the bottom right, stood next to them. A black and silver Yamaha keyboard filled in the empty space. On the other side of the room Tenten, Matsuri and Sakura lay on the sofa, arms and legs tangled as Ino and Hinata sat on the floor. None of them really cared about the fact that they had been here for 2 hours doing…nothing.

Tenten yawned "You guys do realize that none of us have ever played in a band and…" she paused to draw her hand away from her mouth.

"…that we kinda suck." Finished Ino.

The girls all nodded. They all knew how to play their instruments at expert level but put together they sounded like crap. The only two that ever stayed in the same beat were Tenten and Sakura, to which they said that they had practiced together often. The only problem was that they couldn't find a song that everyone really knew. They didn't have a song yet, though the board was covered it small bits of lyrics. One or two people faltered from lack of knowledge in the song and everything went downhill from there. Ino continued to inspect her nails and Sakura went back to her book. Hinata was meditating and Matsuri was just plain dying. Tenten, in her state of oblivion, opened her mouth and started to sing quietly.

You've wasted your times

On my heart

You've burned

And if bridges gotta fall then you'll fall too.

Doors slam

Lights black

You're gone

Come back

Stay gone

Stay clean

I need you to need me.

She didn't notice that Hinata had started to sing with her. Then Sakura and Matsuri. Then Ino. They split off into harmony, voices blending softly.

So we're bound to linger on

We drink the fatal drop

Then love until we bleed.

The song finished and everyone snapped out of it.

"huh?" muttered Tenten.

Matsuri rubbed her eyes and yawned again.

"That sounded pretty good" she commented.

"what did?" asked Tenten, trying to remember what had happened.

"Yeah it did" said Sakura, ignoring her best friend.

"what did?" said Tenten a little louder.

"Maybe we got the singing down." Mumbled Hinata.

"All we need is the instruments." Matsuri.

Tenten blew a fuse "WHAT? SOUNDED GOOD?" she yelled.

Sakura smacked her. "The song."

Tenten's face twisted in confusion.

"song?" she voiced.

Matsuri sighed and Hinata placed a hand on the brunettes shoulder. They both shook they heads in mock exasperation.

"You poor dense girl" she said at the same time.

Tenten opened her moth to retort when Ino yelled so loud they all jumped. Hinata shot behind the couch in a millisecond. Tenten had her hand wrapped around the fingerboard of the teal guitar, not hesitating to lift it, and Sakura and Matsuri had fallen into protective stances.

"I'VE GOT IT!" she screamed.

Hinata rolled from behind the couch and winced as she massaged her ringing ears. Ino was saying that way too much. And bad stuff happened every time she said it. Almost every time. Ino went over to the laptop that was plugged into the three speakers used for the guitars. She rapidly typed and a song started blaring from the speakers. It wasn't very loud and the entire layout was pretty simple. Ino paused it to ask the others if they knew the song. All of them did. It wasn't really well known but they had all heard it multiple times. It wasn't too hard to find the sheet music and after awhile of altering and redoing the music they had a pretty good replica of the song. Hinata suggested a final run through and they counted off. Sakura started the song with Ino as bass and Tenten as background

I'm having the day from hell,

It was all going so well (before you came)

And you told me you needed space,

Tenten started her drums

With a kiss on the side my face (not again)

Hinata started singing with Matsuri in the background and they all were playing

And not to mention (the tears, a shame)

But I should have kicked your (ass instead)

I need intervention

Attention to stop temptation to scream

All of them came in for the chorus, Ino and Tenten for the melody and the other three for the harmony.

Cause baby

Everything is f'ed up straight from the heart

Tell me what do you do, when it all falls apart

Gotta pick myself up where do I start

Cuz I can't turn to you when it all falls apart

No

Ino with Sakura

Don't know where I parked my car

Don't know who my real friends are (anymore)

I put my faith in you

What a stupid thing to do (when it rains it pours)

Tenten with Hinata

And not to mention (I drank too much)

I'm feeling hung over (and out of touch)

I need intervention

Attention to stop temptation to scream

Everyone

Cause baby

Everything is f'ed up straight from the heart

Tell me what do you do, when it all falls apart

Gotta pick myself up where do I start

Cuz I can't turn to you when it all falls apart

No

Hinata with Ino

Can it be easier?

Can I just change my life?

Cause it just seems to go bad every time

Will I be mending?

Another one ending once again

Everyone

Everything is f'ed up straight from the heart

Tell me what do you do, when it all falls apart

Gotta pick myself up (out) where do I start

Cuz I can't turn to you when it all falls apart

No [x2]

Sakura and Matsuri slapped high fives after pulling their guitars off. It hadn't been too bad.

"Now can we start writing songs?" asked Sakura, the bookworm who knew everything one could do emotionally with a pen, marker, or a pencil.

They all agreed and flopped back into their former positions at the couches and the floor, books, paper and pen at hand. Sakura, Ino and Matsuri were sharing and IPod with one of the three way earphones while Tenten and Hinata shared one set.

"Start thinking." Said Ino as she already started to erase whatever crap she had written down.

Outside the room there were a couple of innocent bystanders who just happened to pass by. Bystanders that go by the name of Apocalyptic Death. Emo sounding, much? Neji leaned back against the wall next to the door, his arms crossed. Sasuke was in a similar fashion on the opposite side of the hallway except he had both hands in his pockets, his school jacket hanging in the crook of his arm. Shikamaru had both hands behind his head and Naruto and Gaara were just standing there. When they heard the music stop they showed no sign of movement. Sure the room was supposed to be sound proof but even those right outside the doors could hear. Neji pushed himself off of the wall. As lead singer and a guitarist it was expected that he would a little worried. A little. Apocalyptic Death was KPA's most successful band since Akatsuki or Kryptic Remorse, which was pretty old since it had consisted of Tsunade, Jiraiya, and some guy named Orochimaru. Ignorant Bliss could do some damage to the other bands and pull itself into second. But then again the gap between first and Second place is pretty big. Neji looked up and he could tell that the rest were thinking the same thing. Sasuke was holding his head with one hand, his fingers creating a cage over his eye and Shikamaru and Gaara were in there thinking positions. Naruto on the other hand had a large smile on his face.

"They sounded good!" he said giddily.

Sasuke frowned and Neji glared though pale eyes.

"Shut up, dobe" growled Sasuke.

"But they are!" protested the hyperactive blond.

Naruto kept rambling. Sasuke walked over but Shikamaru ambled over and put a hand over Sasuke's fist.

"Chill out, Uchiha" he muttered. "Don't worry too much."

Sasuke jerked his hand out and sighed.

"Yeah, you worried? About something…or someone." smirked Neji.

Sasuke's pulled his head up to glare at the Hyuuga. They had done this many times and they knew neither would give up. Neji knew he had hit something inside Sasuke though. Everyone in the band knew of Sasuke's brother Itachi. They had been good friends for a real long time. Brothers. Then when Sasuke turned 11 Itachi had a huge fight with his parents. Itachi was what most would consider a genius. He had the best grades one could get and he had a huge passion for music and business. He was the one who taught Sasuke how to sing and play guitar. At age sixteen, he was 5 years older that Sasuke, he had wanted to go to America to study. He had gotten a crap load of offers around that time and things were sort of hectic. His parents refused and the next day he disappeared from their lives. The only thing he left behind was a note to Sasuke. Sasuke hadn't shown it to anyone since that day. All they knew was that there was a line saying: Try and catch up to me in the music world foolish brother. What's a little more competition? After all a caring brother is one more likely to follow after. Itachi had betrayed him. He had lied about loving him as a friend and a brother. Its like he had been speaking in falsetto the entire time but he hadn't noticed it. Soon after he left Sasuke's mom got sick and she's never been in good health since. Sasuke had vowed to beat Itachi to a piece of unmoving shit for hurting his parents and him. He'd been pushing for a band for sometime and when they'd finally gotten to forming one he worked so hard that the others went up with him. Since then the guys had been careful not to mention anything that might hint Itachi. Neji backed away, both hands in the air.

"Sorry" he muttered grimly "but should we be worried? " he voiced. "No" he answered his own question. "No matter how good they get we get better."

Everyone nodded and settled into comfort. In their first year as a band they had been afraid that their band would fail (even if they wouldn't say) like the many others but now they would still be confident even if Itachi set a hydro bomb on them. Shikamaru stretched and flexed his fingers.

"Well, then. Shall we get back to practice?" he suppressed a yawn.

"YEAH!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke leapt to cover his friend's mouth just as he started break dancing to random music.

"Shut up dobe" he hissed.

Neji glanced at the door with Gaara and Sasuke. It didn't open and there was no sound coming form the room. With a sigh of relief they walked away, never once losing confidence.

Back in side the room.

"Did you hear something?" questioned Hinata, her head cocked to one side.

The girls shook their heads no and they continued to scribble. 15 minutes later the only thing Tenten had on her scrap of paper was an intricate drawing of a kunai, and some random epic sounding words .In her boredom she chucked her pencil at a poster of several bands and a crude drawing of some asstard fangirls. It hit the lump labeled Ami right between the eyes. Tenten grinned and promptly scribbled down something. Sakura, who had been nibbling at the tip of her pencil, glanced over at Tenten who was furiously scratching on the poor piece of paper. Raising an eyebrow she shifted over as to see what the brunette had. It wasn't every day that she had a brain blast. Even as her best friend she had to admit Tenten was not the brightest being under the sun. Weather it be dog, bird, whale, or platypus. Ok, fine she was a smart, top grades actually, but she was just a little slow on other things. Just as Tenten's sheet came into view it was snatched away by Ino. Startled Tenten looked straight a head into her empty hands. Ino was struggling to read it as Sakura and Matsuri pulled for it.

"I don't know if you could make out all of the hand writing."

Everyone glanced down to see Hinata, sitting on the floor in a calming position. Sakura frowned and Tenten cocked her head to the side.

"What?" asked Sakura.

Hinata blushed "I, well, I read it all and it…it…"

Tenten remembered Hinata's awesome vision and she understood.

"Sorry. It was inspiration."

At that Ino, Sakura, and Matsuri happily turned to the paper. Maybe someone had finally gotten something song worthy.

"…"

"…"

"…"

On the scrapped piece of notebook paper were several lines, doodles, and words. The kunai was interesting but what really caught the eyes of the three was what was scribbled at the center. Sort of like a target.

It.

Was.

A beautiful picture of Ami, Karin, and several other fangirls in a fiery pit surrounded by thorns and blood. The girls were screaming and had cuts all over them. Sakura leaned in closer to look at the scraggly chicken scratch that labeled everything.

"Go…to..hell…and…burn…you…fucktards…" she murmured out loud.

Ino and Matsuri deadpanned while Sakura face palmed. Hinata looked at them apologetically while Tenten smiled sheepishly.

"It was the picture" she pointed at said picture. "It gave me inspiration."

Sakura blinked uncontrollably.

Matsuri sighed but brightened immediately.

"Don't worry" she said, grinning evilly "We'll make a song out of it, right Ino-pig?"

Ino flicked the pale girl on the forehead.

"of course we will Mouse-suri." She replied in a sweet tone.

Ino loomed over Tenten in a menacing way. Tenten narrowed her chocolate eyes in suspicion and glared.

"You wouldn't" she hissed.

Ino cackled. "That's right Tennie! You are not leaving this school until you finish this song. Ever."

Sakura's features rose as she thought of her friend being locked in school the entire night. Matsuri jumped up and down while Hinata looked worriedly from Tenten to Ino. The same dark aura that had rolled off her in waves at her stare down with Neji returned. Sakura moved away as not to drown. So did Hinata and Matsuri. Ino, simply smirked and she mimed herself drowning, eyes crossed. But, see, Tenten wasn't slow when it came to escape. Why? Because she was a fucking ninja. As Ino finally closed her eyes and 'died' Tenten sprinted for the door.

"MAKE ME YOU EXCUSE OF A DUMB BLOND!" she yelled, careful not to curse in case of teachers.

Ino though cussed as if the world was ending.

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BITCH! YOU ARE FINISHING THAT FUCKIN SONG TONIGHT OR I'LL-"

There was a muffled noise as if Sakura and Matsuri had clamped their hands over Ino's mouth. Tenten smirked as she padded down more hallways. She guessed she was safe. Until she heard the multiple footsteps.

"Shit"

The bun haired girl broke into a sprint and did not stop until she heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. Panting she slumped to the floor, back resting against a wall. It was only then that she realized she was lost.

"Shit"

A/N: yawn…I'm so flipping tired right now. Its pretty short so sorry. Please review or just tell me what you think about it. If you think it sucks then just tell me so. Take your anger out. XD. Oh and I'm starting a small contest. Person with the longest review gets to do Neji's hair and face any way they want to and walk him around like a dog. Splendid. So then, until the next chapter. Bai.


	8. Memories and '

16:01

OMIFUKINKAMI. I know. I haven't updated in, oh well, a month. See, I'm in another country halfway across the world so I have no Internet connection. Pure hell I tell you. I've got about 5 chapters typed up do I'll be updating every one or two days. Thanks to all of you who actually stay and read this story :D

I'm starting over on the acknowledgements and this chapter goes to: IceHeartChaos, Nichi Nara, Kibas Bitch (), nerdyvampgrl97, xoxoiloveanimexo9, foureyes21, lucyxlokigrl, blazinfire08, PeaceGirlForever, puppy lover324, xxjimmyxx1, Tobito Uchiha, dragonflame715, XTheCherryOnTopX, Blaing Blossoms, ventus brawler, lieniblixx, ichi bankai XD, starisice, Mexicanangel01, cleareyes25, pigorama, Rose Tiger, orochimaruninjafan, Dreaming101, TinaTenten, Haylin-chan, jaimison, InsameNinja, siny, Semperfi123, AnimePrincess163, Anime-Goddes-09, Shojen Vampward, animefreakkk9, I ain't selling, bali55, XDarkRider, tigers-and-dragons, bright-rebellious, and SparkDazzleDuez. If I've left anyone out sorry. Enjoy everyone XD.

RECAP

Panting she slumped to the floor, back resting on the wall. It was only then she realized she was lost.

"shit"

Tenten's heart sank. Great. She was lost. In the middle of a school. That was freakin huge. Sighing the girl stood up and rolled her shoulder back. This was worse that writing the song. Or having to deal with Ino's wrath. At least then she could easily plan an escape. Tenten shifted her bag onto one shoulder and started randomly walking, hoping that her accuracy would effect her sense of direction. As she walked Tenten felt something inside her that she couldn't exactly place. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe it was peace. She hadn't felt anything like it since 8 years ago. Her brown eyes glazed over at the memory. Well, she couldn't really call it a memory now could she. When she was 9 she had lost her family. Not to death or anything. She just forgot everything. Everything that happened before her 6th birthday. Since then she had lived in an orphanage in the country. Several years later she met Sakura, whose parents had died in train wreck. They became close friends and they left the orphanages custody once they hit high school. Tenten smiled a little. Sometimes she was such a ditz but it was at times like this that she found herself calm and collected.

Tap

Tap

Tap

Tenten frowned. She heard footsteps. Had she finally become unlost? She rotated her head to hear the sounds better, then they disappeared. She sighed. She was still lost, dammit. She lifted her arms and propped them behind her head. This was getting to be so troublesome. Then they footsteps came back, right behind her. In a spontaneous moment she whirled and aimed a punch. It connected with something soft and Tenten felt the thing propel a little backwards from the unexpected impact.

"Hah!" she yelled

"oof"

The thing regained its balance and Tenten could see the familiar face of a longhaired certain bastard.

"My Kami you're such an Asstard, Neji!" she screeched, punching said person in the arm.

Neji raised his own arms to block off the attacks.

"Alright, alright, bun head." He smirked " and I thought I was an Ice Bitch."

Tenten growled and kicked him. Neji neatly stepped backwards and Tenten pouted. Why did she have to get lost with him? Whhhhhyyyyyy? Karma was just not liking her today. Well, karma didn't like her any day either. Tenten whirled and stalked off. She didn't notice that another pair of footsteps had joined her own until she stopped walking. When she turned she saw Neji following her.

"Why are you stalking me?" she questioned, a little ticked off.

Neji smirked. "I'm supposing you're lost." He stated.

Tenten cursed, remembering her current situation.

"Damn Hyuuga genius" she muttered.

Neji sighed. "Tenten it doesn't take a genius to see that. Naruto could see it."

Tenten aimed another punch. Instead of stepping away Neji met her fist with his own.

"You should really go take some therapy." He suggested.

Tenten scowled and they started walking again. He needed to take therapy for his superiority complex. Hypocritical bastard. After a couple of minutes of silence Tenten grudgingly asked: "Do you how to get out of this place?"

Neji smirked in her admitted defeat.

"Hn"

"C'mon Ice Bitch. Just tell me how to get out of here."

Neji shrugged and crossed his arms.

"I have no reason to"

"I'll set fangirls on you" she threatened.

Neji kept a steady face. He'd dealt with the rabid girls before and would not be fazed with an attack. What do you think he Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Gaara did when they were bored? Tenten struggled to find something harder.

"I'll set fangirls on you with Ino and supply them all with nail polish and hair ties and send texts to multiple people, even guys, saying the you love them and with go to the end of the world for them. Then I'll leave you in your underwear tied to the school roof and call the newscasters and take over the broadcast system"

She knew it was a pretty lame threat but something must have happened because Neji melted.

"Fine. I'll take you"

Tenten smiled and almost hugged the male Hyuuga but ended up tackling him instead.

"Finally!" she yelled. "Now Ino can't force me to write anything and I can eat all the blueberries I want!"

Neji glared up at her from his position on the floor.

"Uh…blueberries?" he asked, a little creeped out by the panda's obsession.

Tenten blushed at her sudden outburst, it quickly turned into a scowl as she took offense.

"Yes, blueberries."

"Blueberries."

"Yes"

"Hn"

Neji got up and started to walk again. He was still wondering why he had let himself to get in a situation like this. He could have easily ignored Tenten's threats. Tenten, confused hurried after.

"Hello…" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

Neji brushed it away, annoyed.

"Just follow" he said.

Tenten stuck her tongue out at him but followed anyways. As they walked Tenten could hear the soft ringing of a bass. The girl strained to hear the instrument better. She had to admit it was really good playing. Neji stopped in front to of a room.

"Go straight and take a left." He directed, putting a hand on the handle.

Tenten frowned and leaned closer to the door. Neji sighed and secured the door.

"Go away." He said, bluntly.

Tenten pouted but her face quickly melted into a smirk.

"Nope!" she said cheerfully. She'd found their base and she was hacking in. As she ducked in she felt a little like a kid, making a game out of everything. As she passed the entryway she felt herself free falling. She quickly twisted her body so that her side took the hit.

"Ow…" she groaned.

Tenten lifted her head to look around the large room. It looked like a normal classroom, save the amp system, laptop, TV and chairs. Sasuke was staring down at her, still fingering his deep blue and silver bass. Shikamaru was pounding lazily on a keyboard, Gaara was holding a red guitar and behind her were Neji and Naruto. Neji was smirking down at her and Tenten had the sudden urge to punch his smug face. The only reason she didn't was because of Naruto. He was giggling and rolling on the floor.

"H-Hi Tenten" he squealed.

Tenten shot away and behind Shikamaru.

"W-what the hell…" she muttered, a little irked.

Shikamaru kept playing and watched Neji nudge the Uzumaki with his foot.

"Uchiha." He growled. "Why did you let Naruto get to the cake?"

Sasuke looked away.

"I had no choice…dobe, threatened me."

Tenten arched a brow.. Naruto? Threatened Duck-Ass? Well, what then. Neji walked up and pointed at Naruto as if to emphasize his point.

"That. Idiotic. Blonde. Threatened. You. To. The. Point. Of. Destruction?"

Sasuke returned with his own personal glare.

"He…he…"

Gaara looked up dully.

"He threatened to take his tomatoes."

Everyone slowly turned to look at Naruto, who was still rolling.

" HE'S MY BEST FRIEND BEST OF ALL BEST FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE A BEST FRIEND TOO?"

He staggered up to point and Neji, one hand on his hip. The he promptly collapsed into a fit of giggles. Neji twitched and neatly karate chopped Naruto in the head. The blonde stilled, muttering about unicorns and ramen. Sasuke ran a hand through his spiky hair.

"Finally" he muttered sounding relieved.

Neji slipped a guitar strap over his head.

"So what were you playing before?"

"Nothing" replied Gaara

Shikamaru nodded and started playing Beethoven's Virus at godspeed, earning exasperated or amazed looks from the others. Neji started flipping through lists of music when Sasuke put up his hands.

"Uh. What's she doing here?"

He pointed at Tenten. Tenten, who had been seemingly forgotten, sat on a stool. She had her knees parted, arms propped up on her knees, and the palms of her hands at her cheeks. She grinned happily,

"Hi!" she called.

Neji scowled and after the band members (minus Naruto) exchanged looks they chose to ignore her.

"Ok. Same as yesterday." He said.

"But what about Naruto" said Sasuke.

All of them glanced over at the melted puddle of green, black, and white uniform, orange hoodie, and blonde hair.

"Just leave him alone" responded Gaara "He sleeps like a mega-ton gummy bear.

He brushed off the slightly disturbed looks that came his way and signaled the beginning of a song. Sasuke, Neji, and Shikamaru caught on and they played the rough beginning to a certain song. Tenten gasped as she recognized the melody.

FLASHBACK

"Ah, Ten-chan!"

The small brown haired girl of five looked up to the low voice that called to her.

"Onni-chan?" asked Tenten her voice squeaking from young age.

Tenten looked up to grin at her older brother. The fuzzy outline of a comforting figure came into her line of view. Tenten ran towards him and hugged him around the knees.

"Watcha Doin?" she sang.

Her brother looked down to answer as another pair of arms encircled him.

"Nii-chan!"

Tenten peered around to see her other brother…the vague memory of identical birthdays interrupted the thought.

"….He was going to show me something!" whined the girl.

Tenten's twin stuck his tongue out at her.

"He's showing me too!"

The older son chuckled and gently pried the two away.

"Just wait a minute."

He walked over to an amp and fingered the dark blue bass in his hands. After a few simple notes he blurred into a complicated combination. Tenten and her twin clapped in delight. They jumped up and down to the heavy rhythm of the song and when it stopped they went back to hugging their aniki around the knees.

"Wow" awed Tenten "Can you play more?"

"Yeah!" echoed her twin.

Two hands came down to ruffle their dark hair.

"Maybe later….and Tenten"

FLASHBACK END

Tenten's pupils dilated as she regained her focus. Why couldn't she remember the names? Or the faces? It had been 10 years since any memories had popped up. The teen rubbed her temples and shooed away the depressing thoughts. She finished listening to the familiar song and waited for someone to speak.

"Wow." She uttered.

Neji and Sasuke turned to face her.

"Hn" they replied.

The two glared at each other, not happy. Tenten chuckled from her place.

"You two are on the same wave length." She commented. "Quite intimate, no?"

Neji and Sasuke hn'ed once more and crossed their arms. Not two seconds later they all whirled at her.

"Go Away"

Tenten looked hurt and she got up sullenly. She ambled over to the door and gently laid a hand on the handle. Neji could have sworn he saw something sparkle in her eye and it was not glitter or sparkles or unicorn of any sort or form.

"See you later" she called in a mocking tone as she left.

Later that week Tenten rushed to band after being held back in class.

"I'm sorry!" she yelled, throwing open the doors.

Everyone eyed her but Tenten was too busy trying to catch up with the girls.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked worried about new revelations.

Hinata nodded mutely. The pale Hyuuga heiress pointed at the piece of paper Ino and Sakura were holding.

"A piece of paper?" said Tenten.

Matsuri pulled the bun haired girl over and gracefully jabbed a finger at the words written on the embossed sheet.

" KMC Band Smash Off…all bands, age ranging from high school and older, are welcome to participate…First place prize….a record contract with Konoha Music Company, $50,000 and a public exhibition.."

It took Tenten awhile to register this and when she did she turned slowly to face Sakura. Very very very slowly. Like in slow mo, maybe even slower. She put both her hands carefully on the cherry's shoulders and:

"!"

Sorry for the screwiness. This chapter was sort of a filler but it's a start. Please just put up with it. If you have any suggestions like for songs that could be played or just other people you want to see in the fanfic then review or PM me. And yes SLAP THE REVIEW BUTTON AND YOU GET MUFFINS COME TO THE EPIC SIDE!

Signing out.


	9. Songs and Madness

CHP: LINS9 14:17

**I decided to put up two chapters for today so if you don't get anything in this one then you should read the one before. **

Tenten shook Sakura back and forth, causing the pink haired girl to scream as well. Ino started cackling at the sight of her friend's head being shaken off and Matsuri hid under a chair, tears running down her face from laughing. Hinata was the only sane one and she easily pulled the brunette off of Sakura.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

Sakura grabbed her head and rolled it around to see if all was intact.

"I'm fine."

Tenten giggled then looked up at the other half of the room. They were staring at them, wide eyed and freaked out. She stood up, brushed herself off and stuck her tongue out at them. Then waving a hand, she ignored them until they started talking again.

"Geez, it's like they've never seen someone go into hysteria before."

Ino snorted. "Yeah, like that time Amy had a nervous break down because she was separated from Neji."

Tenten raised a brow. "Why?"

Matsuri smirked into her palm. "Because of a pigeon"

Sakura stood up. "WHAT?"

Hinata nodded. "Neji-nii-san was feeding a group of pigeons and she broke down. A very nice and fat one pooped on her head."

"Oh" went Tenten.

They sat in silence, thinking about hysteria, fangirls, and their obsessions.

"So" said Sakura

"KCM" echoed Tenten

Ino propped her face on a palm and started scribbling.

"We need to write an original." She said.

Matsuri grabbed another pen. "Yeah but what's our competition?"

They all turned to look at Apocalyptic Death who looked right back at them.

"They'll be in for sure." Hinata muttered. "They'll need a jump start"

"Yeah." Tenten started "But they're the only band we know in this area and the smash off covers a lot of districts."

Matsuri stroked her imaginary beard and goatee.

"Yes, Holmes. It does indeed."

Tenten grinned and smoked from her pipe.

"We shall have to wait until the day of trial, no, Watson?"

"Hm…but first we must write a song. Any ideas?"

"No" said Tenten dropping out of her act. "I'm feeling like being extra stupid today"

"No shit, Sherlock" muttered Sakura.

Tenten punched the pink in the arm and Sakura swatted back.

"No, really, we need a song by next week." Said Matsuri.

"NEXT WEEK?" yelled Tenten, Sakura, Ino and Hinata.

Matsuri nodded and pointed at the abandoned poster.

"It says the dead line for the first rounds are next week."

Tenten groaned while Ino facepalmed.

"We'll never finish" whispered Hinata, rubbing her forefinger together.

"THEN START WRITING!" shouted Sakura.

Everyone jumped back and looked at Sakura's blazing eyes. After a second or two she calmed down and looked around, as if she had just come out of a daze.

"Huh?" she asked in a mildy pleasant voice.

Tenten sighed and explained to the other three.

"Sakura has a inner. Actually we all have inners but hers breaks through a lot. And then she goes crazy and can't remember anything her inner did."

Ino started at her weirdly as Tenten nodded in an assuring way.

"O…kay" they all said.

Sakura was still in a daze when the guys came over.

"You heard about the smash off?" asked Sasuke.

The girls nodded and looked at them suspiciously. Naruto grinned and put his hands up.

"We just came to say good luck." He said, happily.

"Maybe you'll make it to the second round…" mused Gaara.

"Troublesome" was the only thing Shikamaru said.

Ino stood up and pulled at his ear.

Tenten nodded to herself. "It's not like you've ever done this either Sir I-think-I'm-such-a-f'ing-genius-with-a-superiority-complex."

Neji scowled at them. "Of course, but anyway, good luck."

Sasuke nodded once, Gaara glared, and Shikamaru fell asleep. Matsuri smiled and gave Gaara a mocking hug. Hinata smiled shyly while Ino shook Shikamaru's head by his ear and the lazy teen woke up.

"Wha…" he groaned.

After awhile he remembered what was going on and wished the girls good luck as well. They all walked away smirking until Sakura and Tenten kicked them from behind.

"Good luck to you too!" said Ino

A WEEK LATER

"ARGGGGGGHGHGHGHGHGHGH!" yelled Tenten, grabbing her bangs and pulling hard.

BAM

"Ow!" she yelped.

She had tugged on her hair so hard that she had fallen over, taking Ino and Hinata with her.

"Get offa me!" growled Ino.

Not wanting to deal with Ino's wrath Tenten got up, helping Hinata up as well. After a week none of them had come of with any song worthy lyrics. The smash off required two songs, an original song and one of your choice, for each round you made it to. They had to be one ballad and The girls had been staying at the club room the entire weekend only getting up to play DDR, Super Smash Bros, and get more junk food. Sakura pulled at a piece of beef jerky.

"This is so aggravating." She whined.

All of them were back to the pencil, paper, and scribbles routine again. The Cry erase board had been filled to the brim with lyrics. The other dry erase board held melody notes and rhythms. The other other dry erase board had more lyrics and one or two drawings of fangirls. Hinata sat under her keyboard, reaching up to try out a melody or two with Matsuri next to her. Ino was off in her own world and so was Sakura. Tenten, though, was at a board trying to think of something.

"AH HA!" she shouted, one finger up in the air.

Ino screamed about olives and Hinata held tight to one leg of the Yamaha while Matsuri was at the other. Tenten started to madly scribble in lime green X-Po while the others drew close.

"What's this supposed to be?" whispered Matsuri.

Sakura moved her mint colored glasses up the slope of her nose in a genius way.

"This is Tenten's Inner. It's not like mine. It doesn't pop up as often and as randomly. Actually hers gives her a brain blast. But only when it wants to."

"and when's that?" asked Hinata.

Sakura shrugged. "Not often only once or twice a month."

Ino nodded and stroked her imaginary mustache. She twirled the handlebars expertly and held a magnifying glass to her bright blue eye.

"Hmm" she said.

Tenten stepped away and presented the work of her Inner.

Those Not Heard

In a new world

Full of darkness

Hanging over

The edge of a mirror

Like the water

You see below you

The wind blows through it

You feel locked freedom

The megaphone in my hands

Mean nothing (to you)

Do you understand

The silence

The nightmare

The beauty

Because I'm one of those not heard

Shouting out to the dark

So loud that it hurts

That close to blacking out

And those not heard

Disappear to the silence

Like tears to the wind

Like rain to the sky

Like hearts to the break

Those not heard

The headphones over my ears

Play a song

Only I can hear

And the plink of the keys

Fade to nothing

And the way that they laugh

shatters glass

The full blooming roses

That lay all around

Just answer to silence.

Because I'm one of those not heard

Shouting out to the dark

So loud that it hurts

That close to blacking out

And those not heard

Disappear to the silence

Like tears to the wind

Like rain to the sky

Like hearts to the break

Those not heard

Are the ones in the shadows

The ones in the rain

That wait everyday till the

Sun greets them again

The ones with broken lights and guitars

Broken hearts that fly far

On the glass heart of morning

Light that shines through the pieces

Of never ending

But those not heard

Wake to the brightness

And those not heard

Feel something about them

And as they sing

The world has to hear them

Cause those not heard

Have lived in the silence

The breakthrough out

Is as hard as that mirror

In the water about

That pool full of darkness

And it's a new world

For those

That are heard

Sakura smiled at her friend while Tenten beamed. This was one of the only times when she truly though herself to be a genius.

"I am a genius" she said, speaking out her thoughts.

"It was your Inner" pointed out Hinata.

"Still a genius" replied Tenten looking offended.

They put the song to work and by the end of the weekend they had one song to present to the judges. That was when they heard it was going to be a multi-district wide broadcast.

"Aw, shit" said Sakura.

It was the day before the smash off and the girls were in the band room.

"Yes, indeed" muttered Tenten.

Kurenai was at the head of the room, pointing out the tiny details on where the luggage would need to go the following morning, or what time they needed to meet.

"I can't believe we have to go for 3 hours to get to the place we're staying at…" groaned Ino.

"I can't believe I have to go for 3 hours in the same bus as you…" groaned Sakura.

Matsuri grinned happily. "Hey, It's still cool that we get to stay at a hot springs."

Tenten had to agree. This smash off thing was taking her to a high level Hot springs and she wasn't going to say no anytime soon.

"We'd better get packed" she said and leapt up.

"Hn" muttered the rest.

...we're getting there…almost…sort of…yeah….okay so REVIEW guys and do what ever you want. I don't mind criticisms but try not to flame. TRY. No, really. Next chapter: Bus rides, Silly String, and Tsunade DUI


	10. Bus rides, Silly String, and Tsunade DUI

LINS10

**And I am back. The no Internet thing is really getting to me XD.**

**Thanks to: senna-taicho-kun, XAlternativeXMusicXGirlX, SieraXD, hahahaha(), peacegirlforever, Rose Tiger, and cg13()**

**The several grammar mistakes that have popped up in the last chapters are the result of not having a beta, lack of time, and speed typing. Sorry about it and thanks to hahahaha () for pointing them out.**

**enjoy**

**SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE SMASH OFF**

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY FUKIN LIP GLOSS!"

A slim tube of pink flew across the room and hit Ino square in the forehead.

"OW!" she wailed, examining the tiny red pockmark that had appeared on her perfectly unblemished skin.

Tenten smirked as she struggled to shove her laptop into the black and red messenger bag she was carrying. The band room was in a total frenzy. Instruments were in a hurry to be packed and Ino's lip-gloss was all over the place. Sakura cursed as she pulled the strap over the guitar bag over her hair. Ino and Matsuri did the same with theirs while Hinata pulled the zipper over her Yamaha. KMC had said they would provide the bands with keyboards and other things that were hard to transport but Hinata and Tenten felt better with their own instruments. Everyone started to file out and Tenten panicked.

"Uh, a little help here?" she called.

No one heard her in the hurricane of words and she cursed to herself. The set of drums had been disassembled and were now stacked on top of each other in their black leathery cases. Okay, so Tenten did Kendo, a bunch of Martial Arts and some soccer but she did not have the manpower to do all of this in 7 minutes. She sighed and picked up the top two, which happened to be the base and snare. She struggled with getting them through the door and just as she had left it she tripped over a stray amp cord.

"Fuck!" she called as she fell.

She tried to regain her balance and catch the drums at the same time but her ninja skills just didn't cut it.

'Not my babies! Nooooooooooo' she mind wailed as she saw the drums collapse to the floor.

Then two people caught her and the drums.

"Huh?" she looked up and saw Sasuke holding onto one of her arms and Neji trying to balance the drums.

"Thanks?" she said.

She stood up and tried to take the drums from Neji but he refused.

"Just let me carry them. You'll fall again. And where's everyone else?"

Tenten was both pissed off and grateful for his help. So she kicked him and grabbed the sets from him.

"They're at the bus. What are you doing here anyway?"

Sasuke and Gaara came out of the room with the rest of the drum set, Naruto right behind them with Hinata's Yamaha.

"We're here to help" said Naruto, hefting the heavy keyboard.

Tenten was a little suspicious but she didn't turn down the offer. In one trip they managed to get everything back to the bus and get themselves on it too. Several other bands in the same area as them were on it but Ignorant Bliss and Apocalyptic Death were the only people in the far back. Sakura waved Tenten over, glaring at Sasuke.

"Hello everyone. How may we help you?" she asked in a pleasant voice that Tenten knew she must have practiced.

Tenten shook her head and asked something.

"Who's the driver?"

"ME!" yelled a female voice.

Everyone flinched and turned to see a drunk Tsunade at the door. She smirked and inserted the keys.

"Don't worry" she said smiling widely, her amber eyes blood shot and dilating. "I'm not drunk."

Naruto eyes turned cat like as he pointed out the 35 bottles of sake at her feet. He hissed as if it were a familiar enemy.

"Who the hell said Tsunade should be the driver?" whispered Neji as Sasuke turned Naruto back to human.

"Is it that bad?" asked Sakura, although she was wary of the school's principal.

Naruto snorted "Are you joking? It's the number one rule by students. teachers, janitors, and cafeteria ladies throughout the district that no one is to ever let Tsunade DUI. Evaaar"

Naruto's cerulean blue eyes widened as if to heighten the effect and Tenten rolled her eyes. The more fun the better. Tsunade started down the road and things were going really smoothly. Too smoothly. Tenten twitched uncontrollably.

"I though you said this was dangerous." she hissed.

"It is" hissed back Shikamaru. "There's something wrong"

Sakura and Matsuri had been listening in on their conversation.

"Bad?" whispered Sakura.

"Really bad" said Gaara.

DSINYVWIYPNI

They turned to see Matsuri rummaging through her large bag.

"Is it in mine?...no…uh…let's see…"

She turned to Ino and they searched through the bottomless pit together.

"nope…"

"is that it?"

"nope…"

"I think…"

"nope"

Naruto peered in with wide eyes.

"It that some sort of 4-dimensional back pack?" he asked in awe. "Where'd you get it?"

Ino glared "Shut up."

Shikamaru pulled Naruto aside and told him that reading too much Doraemon was bad for his health.

"But it's a childhood classic!" argued Naruto.

Shikamaru sighed but Gaara spoke before he could.

"No, Naruto. Normal teens like us read actual stuff."

"But he's not normal" whispered Sasuke.

"He's…I dunno…different…crazy." mused Neji.

Naruto heard everything and yelled back in protest.

"I'm not crazy or different!" he said confidently. "Everyone is just extra normal!"

The rest of the group deadpanned at his logic. Before long Matsuri crowed in delight as she and Ino pulled out cans and cans of high lighter colored stuff. Tenten crouched to pick one up.

"Silly String?"

"YEAH!" whisper yelled Ino. "Its the best thing in the world."

Everyone was grabbing cans and studying the colors. Tenten had gotten some pink, green, and yellow. She was about the open the can and smell it when the bus jolted forwards.

"Sorry!" Tsunade called, her words slightly slurring "There was a giant turtle in my way!"  
Hinata blinked. The bus had pulled her forwards, shaking the can and popping off the top at the same time. Silly string exploded from her can and it highlighted her hair a dark blue.

"SILLY STRING FIGHT!" yelled Naruto, shaking up some orange and throwing it with mega strength. Orange covered the bus and all hell exploded.

"Get your own color and try not to get hit!"

Tenten was lime green, Sakura was pink, Ino was purple, Hinata was light blue and Matsuri was yellow. Neji was a silvery white, Sasuke was a navy color, Shikamaru was dark green, Naruto was orange, and Gaara was red. Tenten dive rolled under a seat and made herself comfortable. When a pair of feet passed by she raided them in her color. When she stuck her head out she saw Gaara, covered in head to toe with green.

"Sorry, panda!" she called.

She was about to go back to the safety of the seat when white silly string poured onto her face.

"WTFH?"

Once it had cleared from her eyes she could see Neji under the seat across from her.

"Sorry, other panda"

"ICE BITCH" she roared in response.

She fired but hit Sakura instead. Sakura got mad and made a wall of silly string in Tenten's seat, then cackled before dying Sasuke's hair bright pink.

"Shit!" yelled Sasuke, trying to scrape the minty smelling stuff from his hair.

Apart from much action, Ino was standing over Shikamaru. He seemed to be asleep in what he thought was the safest place, in the very back, under a seat with a footrest. She gently sprayed a mustache on his face and left it to settle then she painted on a goatee and fuzzy eyebrows. She didn't notice him move his pinkie in his sleep. It triggered a whole line of forest green muck onto her face and clothes. She screamed and angrily sprayed the guy's ears purple, hoping it would stay dyed. Meanwhile, Hinata and Matsuri were battling Naruto and Gaara. Gaara had made a wall of red and was shooting from a peephole.

"HAHAH YOU'LL NEVER GET THROUGH!" he yelled crazily.

Matsuri dive rolled and the wall collapsed

"HAHAH YOU"LL NEVER ESCAPE!"

Hinata giggled at the two and went to look for Naruto. He was hiding in the various piles of string but where ever he went Hinata would find him.

"Gotcha" she said quietly before attacking him.

Naruto growled and pounced. Hinata's hair was streaked with red and orange while Naruto's looked sort of green from her blue. They were still fighting when a blur of silver crashed into them. Neji was spinning at godspeed and a sphere of silver string surrounded him. Right behind him was Tenten, busting through the line.

"FACE THE STRING! FACE IT!" she yelled.

She shot the five cans she had taped together like a bazooka and it sprayed everyone 5 feet within her. Naruto ducked and he ran into Sasuke who tripped over Hinata. They all fell and Sakura jumped at the top.

"I'M THE KING OF THE-"

She was caught off guard by Matsuri and Gaara, who were wrestling over the last can of spray. They both stood at the top of the human pile until Neji spun into them and Tenten on top of him.

"I'M THE KING OF THE FREAKIN MOUNTAIN!" the two yelled in unison.

Most of the cans were empty and the last one sputtered out as Matsuri tested for the last of it. There was a content silence.

"That was fun" murmured Ino, throwing her can with a ping.

"Yeah" echoed Sakura.

They resumed their silence and it wasn't until everyone had fallen asleep that the bus ride really started.

**Four words: I love silly string…I love it. Review if you do too! Or not XD. Next chapter: Operation: The Towel, The Lock, and The Key.**


	11. Operation: The Towel, The Lock, The Key

LINS11

**CHP: OPERATION: The Towel, The Key, and The Lock**

**Thanks to: Tonai, MollieBabiie, FoebaMiddonaito, XAlternativeXMusicXGirlX, Rose Tiger, SieraXD, Katarina Wolffe, and Itz All Good.**

**Disclaimer: (I've forgotten to do these….) I don't own Naruto in any way. Evaar**

When the group woke up they realized that they had arrived at the hotel. They were still in the large pile, draped over each other. Tenten had actually fallen asleep sitting up and Shikamaru looked like he was trying to make a snow angel.

"WE'RE HERE!" yelled Naruto, getting up from his sleep.

The silly string had been cleared and they were all packing their bags.

"Hey, Sakura, where's my-whoa" Tenten stopped mid sentence.

Sakura looked at her friend.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, tucking a book into an empty pocket.

The two took a good look at each other and pointed.

"Your hair" said Tenten.

"Your arms" said Sakura

The rushed to the nearest window and peered at their reflections. Tenten's brown hair had streaks of silver white with black and pink at the ends. Sakura's hair had green streaks with black outlining them. Both of their arms were covered in an artistic swirl of all the colors.

"This is…" started Sakura, worriedly rubbing at the imprints.

"…HACKIN AWESOME!" finished Tenten.

She ran over to Hinata and showed her the highlights. Hinata herself had silver orange and red streaks at the end of her blue black hair. Matsuri had red and a little orange in her hair while Ino was the only girl spared. Her hair had been tucked into a cap at that time but the bang at front was streaked with purple and one line of green ran down the back of her hair.

"Let's keep them," said Hinata

Tenten laughed and hugged the girl. Then they looked over to the guys. They were tattooed and high lighted as well and were going crazy. Neji looked alright in silver outlines with light green lines at his bangs and either side of his face. Naruto and Gaara looked similar in the color scheme of their hair. Naruto's hair was speckled with some blue but had mostly red. Gaara had a bunch of blonde and a little green on him and the only difference between the two was that Naruto was ecstatic and Gaara was just pissed. Shikamaru ended up with handlebars and a goatee with purple streaked hair but it was Sasuke who suffered the most. His perfectly duck ass hair was mostly pink but had some orange in it. It looked like his head was on fire and the group tried to keep from laughing as they unloaded their stuff. Tsunade led the busload to the entrance and they all found their rooms. The bands split up and the girls walked to their own suite.

"Lets go to the springs." said Tenten, tired from the war.

Everyone shrugged and grabbed their stuff. In the hall they met the guys.

"Hot springs?" they asked.

Hinata nodded. "I heard they were really good here."

The guys shrugged and walked left to their locker rooms. The girls went right and after changing they went into the outdoor springs.

"Dammit" said Sakura.

Apparently it was uni-sex. One pool for the guys another for the girls. All that separated them was a low wooden wall. Trying to ignore the stares, they slipped into the water.

"Ahhh" sighed Ino. "I haven't been in a hot springs since…last winter."

Sakura shrugged as she sunk lower into the mineralized water. "Hmmmm…I think I'll go to sleep"

They let the cherry go to sleep and just talked for hours. Tenten was dozing off in the water when she saw something through her half closed eyes. A girl stepped into the room. She was tall and had blonde hair in long pig tails with familiar cerulean blue eyes.

'_Pretty. Looks a lot like Naruto'_ smirked Tenten before drifting off to sleep.

A light went out. That was what caused Sakura to wake from her sleep. The water was still warm and she could see the other girls asleep around her. Sakura wondered what time it was. The sun was sinking in the west and she felt stiff from her nap. Her hands were wrinkled and the pinkette frowned. Damn, she was going to be as wrinkled as Tsunade without the treatment. Sakura reached for her towel and set of keys but all she felt was the stone ground around the pool. She searched the entire area with her eyes but found no pile of towels or keys. She cursed out loud and shook Tenten, who was next to her.

"Tenten." Said Sakura.

The brunette had left her hair down and it splashed Sakura as she rose.

"Unhg?"

"Where are the keys? And the towels?"

Tenten grew suspicious and fully focused.

"Towels? I left mine by the pool."

Sakura gestured to the area and Tenten took a quick glance to confirm that her towel and keys weren't there. They both looked down. All that they, and all the other girls were wearing were water towels that barely covered them.

"Fuck" growled Tenten. "Was it just me or had I seen a girl that looked like Naruto's twin?"

Sakura blinked. "What? He wouldn't."

Tenten rolled her chocolate eyes as she motioned at the empty air .

"No shit Sherlock."

"I thought you were Sherlock"

"Shut up"

They managed to get the girls out and crept inside. Most of the people had gone to their rooms but several women were at the showers. The girl went to rinse off and Tenten shut herself in her own area. She rinsed her hair and rung out her damp towel. Then she wrapped it around herself and went out to the locker rooms. Hinata was already there, shivering in the cold.

"We had our keys to the lockers on the ring too."

Tenten dead panned. She had forgotten about the locker keys. They had no way to get to their clothes, belongings, and room. The brunette pounded a hand on the balsam wood but it wouldn't give out. When the others came she explained the situation and they panicked. Hinata started hyperventilating a little and her face turned as red as a tomato. Matsuri was trying to calm down the nervous girl while Sakura and Ino tried the doors again. Tenten went to look for bigger towels and handed them out to the girl. Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible they went out to the lobby and sneaked into the hall where their room was. On the way there Tenten couldn't help but do a fake ninja move. Hinata started laughing/hiccupping and some people saw them. More and more people started looking at the girls and some guys were smirking and calling to them. Blushing in anger and frustration, they ran away. Once they reached room 542 Ino tried the handle. It was locked and wouldn't move, even if Ino near ripped it out. Tenten tried pounding on it and after a second or two a voice called out from inside.

"Who is it?"

Tenten looked at Sakura and they exchanged weird looks. What idiot was in their room? They heard a couple of thumps and another voice whispered out.

"Shut up dobe, you're not supposed to say anything."

"But why?"

"Because we're in their room, dumbass"

Tenten, Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Matsuri sweat dropped. He really was an idiot.

"Oh"

"Yes"

Hinata had been leaning on the door and felt it move a little.

"Someone's there" she whispered.

Tenten felt the movement too and she whispered into the keyhole.

"Hello?" she asked in an innocent voice so completely different from her own. "Is anyone there?"

"Us!" called back Naruto.

Hinata blushed while Ino, Sakura, and Matsuri cracked up.

"Hello?" repeated Ino, just as softly.

Hinata palmed Matsuri a hair pin and answered Sakura's questioning look.

"Matsuri had to learn this kind of stuff from where she lived in the Sand."

Sakura was mildly impressed. She could only undo simple locks, unlike these.

"I thought Matsuri grew up with Gaara." added Tenten.

Ino shrugged as the small girl went to work.

"She was taken into Gaara's household when she was orphaned. Gaara has an older sister and brother that are in college. In that huge house you'd need to know how to unlock stuff to keep away from maids and nosy people"

"Huge house? Maids?" asked Sakura

"Orphaned?" asked Tenten.

Matsuri turned to answer both questions.

"Gaara's father was the governor of the Sand at that time. And yeah, I got orphaned when I was about 3." She winked sadly at Sakura and Tenten.

With a resounding click the handle gave way and all the girls crammed into their room.

"AHHHHHH" screamed Naruto, doing the perfect imitation of a girly scream. He scuttled back against the wall, pure horror and glee in his eyes. Tenten marched up to the sunny blonde and grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Why'd you take our keys and towels? Hmm?" she hissed.

Naruto feigned innocence.

"I didn't! I swear to kami! Besides" he pointed at Neji "He said I could!"

Tenten gave an exasperated sigh and handed him over to Sakura.

"Why?" asked Hinata as Tenten stood square in front of Neji.

Neji yawned and smirked. "I didn't do anything. At all"

Tenten glared "but you let them didn't you?"

Neji shrugged "I can't tell them what to or what not to do"

Tenten could tell he was enjoying seeing her so pissed off. Sasuke was also in the same state and Gaara seemed slightly amused and Shikamaru just didn't care. Okay, maybe he did a little now that Ino was about to punch his guts out for staring. Tenten raised her arm and grabbed Neji's hair. She gently pulled him down until they were nose to nose.

"Get. Out, Now" she growled in a menacing voice.

Neji freed himself from Tenten grip and sat on the couch.

"You might want to change" he commented, waving a hand at her attire.

Tenten looked down and saw that the one hand that gripped her towel was slipping down. And down. And down. Naruto was practically drowning in his drool and Sasuke had a light brush of pink over his face. Shikamaru was fully awake now, Gaara was looking away, and even Neji seemed to lose his composure for a second or two.

Blink

Blink

Blink

"HENTAI!" screamed Sakura as she threw a game control at someone's head. Tenten ducked and it hit Neji, leaving a cross and a (a) (b) (x) and (y) impression on his cheek. The other girls started chucking random stuff and ran into the large bathroom.

"THIS IS WAR" called out Ino, Hinata and Matsuri echoing threats after her.

"Agreed" someone replied.

The girls didn't leave until they heard the door click shut.

That night, after the girls had gotten over the take-towels-and-keys-and-lock-the-rooms thing, Tenten was in bed trying to think up of something. She was still creeped out and tried to push the while thing out of her head. It's not like they saw anything. The towels didn't slip too low but it still irked her. The smash off didn't start for another 2 days and there would be plenty of time for revenge. Tenten rolled over onto her side and grinned to herself.

"This really is war…"

**That was a sucky chapter…meh…REVIEW? Next chapter: Operation: Bungee cords and slinkies.**

**(I warn you)**


	12. Operation: Bungee Cords and Slinkies

LINS12 14:19

**Thanks so much to: narutoboysfangurl, ItzAllGood, Rose Tiger, XAlternativeXMusicXGirlX, Katarina Wolffe, and all of the others still following this. **

**Yeah….**

**I don't own Naruto**

**Yeah…**

All the girls were dressed in the light kimono like outfit of the hot springs. They'd gone back in the morning and were in one of the several band rooms that the hotel had prepared for the smash off competitors. Tenten had her IPod in and was drumming a cover to some song and Hinata was playing a nice concerto that Sakura and Matsuri had dubbed 'Water'. It was calming, except for the heavy, menacing auras that came from all of them. Ino inspected her nails for any cracks.

"So…have you guys gotten anything" she asked.

They all said no except for Tenten who was still drumming.

"Yoohoo" called Sakura, waving a hand in front of her face.

Tenten's eyes were closed in concentration and she didn't even open them.

"Someone unplug her will you?" asked Ino in a slightly irritated tone.

Hinata obliged and yanked the ear buds form her ears. Tenten's eyes flashed red.

"What?" she glared.

Matsuri came over and shrugged and asked in a slow and steady voice.

"Do you have any idea on how to take revenge on the idiotic bastards that come from down there?" she pointed with her middle finger to emphasize her point.

Tenten laughed then thought carefully.

"Bungee cords and slinkies." She and Sakura muttered, nodding in a very thoughtful way.

Hinata looked confused and asked the two. Tenten looked up and repeated herself.

"We go get bungee cords and slinkies. And long lasting temp dye. Oh, and some of that cheap bejeweling stuff, and hot glue guns…" she trailed off and Sakura continued.

"…and hair ties, and make up, yes, and nail polish."

When they finished Tenten explained some more to the other three who had no clue what the hell was going on.

"So I think Sakura's Inner and mine got together to make this plan over night."

Ino raised a brow but didn't question her. If it was a good idea it didn't matter who had thought of it. Tenten pulled out her Mac and typed in a site. A huge picture of Sasuke surrounded by sparkles, deep velvet, and black and red roses popped up on the screen and Tenten had to shield herself from the terror. She turned the laptop and watched the other girls fall over, eyes tearing up.

"I found this last night while I was thinking of stuff…and I found this too."

She opened up another window, shrank the one with Sasuke and put them next to each other. The second site had a full length picture of Neji smirking in that badass way. He was surrounded by clouds, more sparkles, and was holding out a single white rose. Tenten shielded her eyes away from that one as she thought of all the Photoshop geniuses that were a part of the crazy cult. Sakura wiped her eyes and pulled on a pair of extra dark sunglasses.

"What…is this…." She asked.

"Te Horror!" yelped Hinata, hiding from her cousin's picture.

The others had on their glasses and Tenten proceeded to explain the creepy site.

"It's the fansite for both of them. I have the ones for the others if you want."

Before they could protest Tenten pulled up 3 other sites. One was a pic of Naruto with a bowl of ramen, offering a peace sign, the one next to it was of Shikamaru on a hill, sleeping as photoshopped flowers and birds and sparkles glittered around him. The final one was of Gaara walking along a shadowy beach. The watery sunset in the background made them all gag a little. Tenten grinned at the girls' reactions.

"If you post a picture then it gets sent to all of the sites. Apparently they're sister sites or something."

The gears in Ino's head started working as she fully processed what Sakura and Tenten were getting at.

"We go out. Today and put the plan to work"

They all changed out and pulled hats over their heads. Giggling, they left the hotel and went to a fairly busy shopping district nearby. They hurriedly grabbed bunches of needed materials and left in the late afternoon. On the way out they passed a sports store and Tenten asked to stop by. They grudgingly agreed and watched Tenten disappear through the racks of sports clothes, tennis rackets, and balls. Minutes later she came out with a packet of 15 bungee cords and 5 silver slinkies.

"I didn't think they sold slinkies at a sports store." Said Hinata, her pale eyes showing interest.

Tenten smiled. "Neither did I"

They snuck into the hotel room from the back and dumped all of their stuff in a rough pile. Matsuri and Hinata strolled around, sorting the things into piles while Sakura and Ino made little packs of supplies for each girl. Each held 3 colors of nail polish, a pack of a dozen hair ties, a bottle of long lasting water resistant hair dye, a spray gun full of water, a hot glue gun, hot glue sticks, aluminum foil, jewels, glitter, make up glue, mascara, eyeliner, bowls, a brush, lip gloss, foundation, 3 bungee cords and a slinkie. All of this could fit into a large purse and Ino was more than happy to lend out her over sized bags. They finished preparing just before dinner, where all of the bands were supposed to meet that night.

"Think we'll see some good competition? The smash off starts the day after tomorrow." Said Sakura.

The Orientation Dinner required formal dress and the girls were getting dressed. Tenten slipped a knee length black dress over her head. It was lined in silver and had a little black lace type fringe at the ends. The thin straps were silver like the ribbon and bow at her waist.

"I dunno but I hope we can" she replied.

The brunette left her hair down, save a couple of pearl, black, and silver clips that kept her bangs back. She turned to inspect Ino. The blonde was wearing a pale purple strapless dress that came to her to mid thigh. It was slim and showed off Ino's curves. Her hair was done up in a bun with the usual bang hanging down. When she turned her head pins of dark purple and lighter lavender sparkled. Hinata was wearing an off the shoulder midnight blue dress that ended at her knees. It had jewels up the front and they went over her shoulder and down her back. Her back was mostly bare but the star like glitter managed to make its way to the edge of the material. Sakura was dressed in a floaty pink material that ended at her thighs but another cover went to her knees. Her pink hair was done up in a messy bun with a oriental red flower clip. Matsuri was in a teal dress that came up to her knees on one side but to her though on the other. The green-blue color faded from cream to opaque black as it followed the hemline. It had only one strap edged in silver and her hair was in a low ponytail. They each looked totally different from one another. No one would guess they were in the same band much less related to each other in any way. To solve said problem they accessorized to a theme. Sakura was wearing black knee length lace up combat boots with pink bows on either side. Tenten wore one long black and white striped fingerless glove while Hinata was wearing a choker like collar at her neck. Matsuri had a ribbon twisting up one arm and Ino was wearing a band of black and white stripes on her knees that went from just below her dress to just below her knees. Even if they did the Lolita Gothic theme they all had one thing that was the same. The imprints from the silly string war were still on one arm. The dye had washed out from their hair and the rest of their body but the left arm was kept the same. As they left the hotel room Sakura, the medical genius, handed then each a tiny white pill.

"What is this?" asked Matsuri, examining the pill with her dark eyes.

Sakura tucked one into the lining of her dress.

"Its just a sleeping pill. I got it prescribed and the full effects wont kick in for an hour or two. Just pop it open and put the powder into their drinks."

The girls were wary of the strange pill until Ino shrugged happily.

"It's not like they're gonna die" she chirped.

When they arrived, the ballroom was decorated to the point of bursting. It differed from the oriental style of the rest of the hotel and went completely western. Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling and a stage was set up at one end of the long room. The rest of space was divided between a dining area and a dance floor. Tenten blinked to grow accustomed to all the shininess and followed Matsuri, who had found their placing card. Apocalyptic Death was already at a table next to them and the Naruto waved them over.

"You guys look nice" he said, glancing over at the shy Hyuuga.

The rest said their greetings. Tenten noticed that they made no reference to the prank from before.

"See all the people?" asked Sasuke. "Didn't think there'd be this many."

There really were a lot of people. Crowds milled around, trying to find the right place to sit and survey the competition at the same time. Many glares were being passed around too.

"See any new bands yet?" questioned Neji.

Tenten shook her head.

"Too many to count. And nobody's even heard of anyone else."

Shikamaru added in. "Nope. Most people have heard about others. They probably haven't met any one but word gets around the music industry. Through teachers, principals, friends. It's all going to the competitions."

Matsuri frowned a little "Why haven't we heard any of this?"

Gaara blinked. "You guys really are new. Only a month and a half or so right?"

The girl shrugged and sat at the table set for her band. Tenten wasn't expecting anyone to come and greet them but several actually did. Most of them were from the Konoha and Sand area. Tenten had finished glaring at the jazz band that had come to warn them when another group of three appeared. The only female was a tall blonde with familiar teal eyes. Her sandy hair was in four rough ponytails and she wore a kimono like dress with a semi large fan strapped to her back. The older looking guy had darker reddish brown hair and he appeared to wearing some sort of makeup. Tenten could practically feel Ino wailing in despair at the poorly wasted use of her area of expertise. The final member was a black haired man. He was normal looking with two different colored eyes, one blue the other green. The group came forwards and looked to AD. Tenten glanced over to see Gaara push to the front. His turquoise eyes held boredom and dull surprise.

"Temari, Kankuro, Daisuke" he addressed.

The blonde smirked and leaned forwards.

"No need to be so stiff, little bro" she teased.

IB looked back and forth between the two siblings. They looked nothing alike, save their rare colored eyes. The makeup guy, now dubbed Kankuro pulled Temari back.

"Don't mess with him" he said. "He ripped out the cords of my bass last time and I will not have him doing it again."

Gaara nodded in approval and he seemed to relax a little as he ignored the interested looks from his fellow band members and IB.

"Shouldn't you two be in college?" he asked Temari and Kankuro.

Temari shrugged nonchalantly and flipped a smaller fan back and forth.

"This is credit." She said.

After that Gaara introduced the three to IB. All the guys in AD had already met them before as well as Matsuri. It turned out that Temari was the oldest out of the three, sang and played the electric in the threesome band called Adaleia. Kankuro was the second oldest and played bass. Tenten interrupted Gaara to ask a question.

"Gaara?" she asked.

She hadn't been planning to ask this but she was really curious. Might make a good thing for blackmail. The redhead looked at his partner panda.

"Yeah?"

Tenten struggled to keep from laughing.

"Is your brother…uh…" she tried to keep quiet as she drew a wiggly line through the air.

"Huh?" said Gaara, frowning and copying the wiggle.

Tenten held her breath as she emphasized the wiggle into waves.

"You know. Not-" she drew a straight line.

Gaara still didn't get it but Tenten could see something going on in his head. After a few more wiggles and hand motions Sakura sighed in exasperation and she yelled it out loud.

"IS YOUR BROTHER A FREAKIN GAY?"

Her yell rang out through the ballroom and everyone quieted. The pinkette quickly sat down and smoothed out the front of her dress.

"Continue" she muttered, coughing lightly.

Gaara finally understood and he turned to Kankuro.

"Kanky," he said, using the annoying childhood nickname. "Are you gay?"

Kankuro blushed visibly under his make up.

"For the last f'ing time. This is not f'ing make up. It's f'ing kabuki paint!"

Matsuri smiled innocently.

"It's alright Kanky-nii-chan. We f'ing get it"

Kankuro hmphed, not fully convinced but he let it slide. Gaara resumed his intros. The last member wasn't part of the Sand Siblings but he was a close childhood friend. Daisuke was Kankuro's age and did all the keyboard and sound effects. Adaleia sat and chatted for a while. A couple minutes later Temari rose and pulled at Daisuke's hand.

"C'mon Dai, Kanky" she smirked. "We've got competition to find. Good luck!" she called to the two remaining bands, winking at the girls.

"Make sure you beat Gaara to a pulp, kay!"

The girls nodded solemnly and proceeded to throw pistachios from the crystalline bowl at the guys. No other bands came to meet IB after Adaleia but they sat around anyway. Sasuke was just taking a glass of champagne when a blue arm encircled his neck.

"Yo, Sasu"

The person who had nearly choked the Uchiha was tall and had bluish skin. His silvery hair topped a face marked by gills. Behind him were a group of people and they came forward to surround the two bands.

"Akatsuki" Sasuke growled.

He ducked away and the bands faced each other off. The first man smiled.

"C'mon, Sasuke, don't be so mean."

Sasuke refused to speak but another man stepped forwards.

"I'm Pein." He said, holding out a hand "and this is Akatsuki"

Tenten shot a glance at the guys but they seemed wary of the group. Had they known them from before? Tenten nervously shook his hand.

"Tenten, Ignorant Bliss"

The girls went around saying their names and waited for Akatsuki to start theirs. There were about 8 of them, all older than the girls. Tenten scanned the line of black and red when her eyes landed on a familiar blonde ponytail.

"Ino?" she asked

Ino looked at her. "What?"

Tenten shook her head "No…Dei-nii?"

The blonde ponytail shook as it turned to the familiar pet name.

"Tenten?" Deidara asked.

He rushed forwards to give her a huge hug. AD stared weirdly at the reunion along with IB and Akatsuki.

"You know him?" asked Sasuke, anger and suspicion pouring off him in waves.

Tenten looked at him with a what-the-fuck-is-your-problem glare.

"Yeah, he worked at the orphanage I lived at when I was younger. Why?"

Naruto motioned at her not to ask any questions. Even his usually bright face was serious. Tenten nodded slightly to say she understood. She squeezed Sakura's hand and she passed it along as a message to the others.

"How come I don't know him?" whispered the pinkette.

"That's when I though you were going to be adopted by that bitchy woman and she took you away."

"Oh"

Deidara was explaining to his band as well.

"I worked at the orphanage when I got caught for trashing downtown with sparklers and setting off that cherry bomb. Community service."

Pein shrugged and Tenten grimaced at how his multiple piercings moved when he talked.

"Since you two already seem to know each other I'll have to leave him out."

As he motioned to the black and red dressed band he began to introduce them. Sometimes one or two broke out of line and added in stuff, which led to another argument. Akatsuki was a strange combo of instruments. Tenten had heard of them in a magazine a couple of years ago but had no interest in their west indie styled rock/trance music. Pein was a bass player and leader of the group. The sole female, Konan did their vocals and basic keyboards. Deidara did the other set of sound effects from his keys, sometimes electric and Sasori was their percussionist. Kisame, the fish man that had grabbed Sasuke played the other bass, Kazuku played the electric along with Tobi (Tobi is a good boy!) and the final member, Zetsu played electric strings. Tenten was impressed by how many instruments they could play but she could tell the rest of her band was worried about the competition. Akatsuki didn't stay long but just before they turned back Kisame called in a non-mocking and serious voice.

"How's Itachi? Any word?"

Sasuke stiffened up and refused to speak. Kisame shrugged and ambled away. The two bands sat in silence until Sasuke scooted his chair back.

"I'm going out for awhile" he said, running a hand through his spiky hair. "I'll be back."

The guys let him go but Sakura stood up.

"Don't" said Naruto, face set in stone.

Sakura looked at him worriedly. She was used to the blonde being all cheery and stupid.

"Just let me go." She answered and hurried after him.

The remaining members stood up too. Instead of going after the two they drifted off, mumbling about loosening up before orientation and dinner. Ino and Shikamaru ambled to the dance floor to look for something else to do. Ino dragged her childhood friend onto the tiles and forced a smiled onto her face.

"Dance with me?" she asked, her pale blue eyes pleading in the familiar way they had when the two were younger.

Shikamaru had nothing to do and he needed something to keep him mind off what had just happened. A best friend should be able to cheer him up, right?

"Troublesome" he muttered as he took hold of the blonde.

Matsuri wandered off to the balcony that Gaara had went to. Leaving Tenten, Neji, Naruto and Hinata. She didn't say anything but just stood next to him. She had heard of Akatsuki. She knew they weren't bad people and she had known one of them, Sasori, from before. Still she didn't say anything and Gaara knew she meant to stay that way until he spoke.

Naruto's happiness returned soon. It was dimmer than usual but he managed to escape Neji's death glares and take Hinata out to the dance floor as well. Neji was about to stand up when a toothpick flew at him. It pricked him in the arm and he jumped back.

"Let them be" muttered Tenten. "Just let them forget about this, okay?"

Neji hesitantly sat down and looked over to the brunette. She was swirling a delicate glass of lemonade, sprite, and champagne with another toothpick. The brunette was currently mulling over Akatsuki. They seemed to be any regular group of friends. They argued playfully within the band, respected each other despite the known age differences and seemed close. Almost like family. The only thing was the protective and dark aura that surrounded them all. Something else was under the family like bond.

"So" she started again "Who's Itachi?"

Neji grimaced but knew he had to tell her. He expected the rest of the band to let the girls know as well. After what happened tonight it was inevitable.

"Uchiha Itachi" he began "Sasuke's older brother by 5 years"

Tenten looked up.

"I didn't know" she said.

"Either you do or you don't, although most do." continued the Hyuuga. "Itachi is a genius, even more than Nara. To cut it short he left for the states to go to university when he was 14. It caused a huge fight because he was supposed to inherit the Corp. So Itachi ran away and that was the last Sasuke ever heard of him. All of us but him have looked Itachi up on the net. He's 20, almost 21 and does special effects for major movies, music videos and games. He's also pretty big in the music. He's basically a legend in the entertainment industry over there. He used to do all the sound effects and bass for Akatsuki. That was when the members were around 12, 13. After he left, Akatsuki kept coming around to ask Sasuke about him. That just caused trouble between them and Sasuke hates anything to do with Itachi but music. It's a subject that we don't talk about anymore."

Neji took a deep breath after saying this and left Tenten to ponder the entire thing.

"An older brother. I've always wanted one." She said softly.

Neji looked at her in an annoyed way.

"What good has it done him?" he asked, irritated by her density.

"At least he has a family. Don't you?"

Tenten noticed Neji stiffen up immediately.

"What?" she asked.

Neji's pearl eyes hardened into ice.

"I don't. My parents are dead."

Tenten's brown eyes widened.

"I-I'm sorry" she said.

Neji blinked angrily.

"No its his fault for being stupid and letting himself be controlled and her fault for being weak."

Tenten assumed he was talking about his father and mother. Until now she had known nothing about the cold Hyuuga.

"Naruto has no parents either, same with Gaara" Neji added.

"Neither does Sakura and Hinata's mother is dead" replied Tenten. "I don't either."

Neji looked up. Too many gone mothers and fathers. There was awkwardness between the two and Tenten reached out to punch Neji lightly in the shoulder.

"There's a reason all of us happen to be linked together." She said quietly.

Neji was a bit shocked at the gentle move and he allowed himself to be pushed over a little.

"Fate." He muttered, his cold eyes softening at the word his father used to use so much.

Tenten laughed and blew away any sad thoughts.

"To screwed lives" she said, holding up her sparkling glass.

Neji managed to raise his and the glasses clinked as they touched.

"We really should have done this when the others were hear." He said draining his glass in one go.

"Yeah" replied Tenten, sipping lightly from her own. She didn't like the bitter taste of the champagne. She glanced over to the three or four glasses by Neji and saw him downing another.

"You're gonna end up drunk!" she scolded.

Neji smirked. "Never. Hyuugas don't get drunk from this much."

Tenten grinned and accepted another one.

**LATER**

Ino and Shikamaru were the first to return. Ino's high spirits had pulled up and she was bubbly again. Shikamaru was just as tired and lazy as ever. They sat heavily and interrupted Neji and Tenten in their drinking and arguing over Hyuuga resistance.

"5 bottles?" Tenten said "Lies, I tell you, Lies!"

"Hn" said Neji sipping his 8th glass.

Ino chuckled and took her own.

"Where's everyone else?"

"I dunno" the two said at the same time.

Shikamaru leaned against the table and stared into the lights, half asleep. Soon after Naruto and Hinata arrived, almost normal. Hinata was tomato red and Tenten saw Neji looking suspiciously at her before turning to glare at Naruto. He sat down and let a waitress set a glass of pineapple juice with just a little alcohol in front of him. Hinata downed hers in one shot just as Neji had.

"Hyuugas" muttered Tenten.

"Yep" said the waitress.

They all looked up and saw it was Matsuri carrying the tray. She set it down on the table and assured that it was not pure alcohol, just fruit juices and sodas with alcohol in them. They waited for Sakura and Sasuke to come back but didn't worry too much.

**MEANWHILE**

Sakura had been trying to get Sasuke to come out of his damned hole. In his fury she had earned an explanation of the entire Itachi thing and an arm that was striped in red from him gripping it so hard. She was still pissed at the Uchiha but even she couldn't be mad at losing a family member.

"I get it!" she had yelled. "I don't have a family either!"

That had calmed down Sasuke a little and his breathing calmed. Sakura pleaded for him to come back.

"Sasuke, stop being an asstard" she said firmly.

Sasuke glared at her but steadily agreed. Before they entered the room he grabbed her arm. Sakura struggled to escape his grip but it wasn't meant to hurt her. It was almost gentle. Sasuke examined the stripes on her arm and let go.

"Sorry" he muttered, sweeping into the lights ahead of her.

Shortly after Sasuke and Sakura returned the lights dimmed and the orientation started. Sakura hurriedly took a seat next to Tenten and looked skeptically at the near 30 empty glasses.

"What happened?" she asked Hinata.

"Hyuuga alcohol resistance" she replied.

Tenten smiled at the pinkette and motioned to the large stage at front.

"Here goes"

A tall dark haired man, only a few years older than them walked onstage and struggled with a mike. His really pale skin reflected off the dark blazer, white shirt and jeans he wore.

"Uh…is this working?...yeah…"

After the talking stopped he coughed and started.

"Hey!" he called out in a dull voice "Welcome to KMC's Band Smash Off"

Polite clapping, cheers, and a couple of whoops erupted around the large room. The man opened his mouth to speak when someone else in a similar outfit barreled into him.

"Excuse Sai, It's not his fault that he's boring"

Sai smiled ironically and moved to make room for the new comer. He was a tall brunette with red triangle tattoos on his cheeks. Canine teeth were revealed when he smiled.

"Kiba?" said Tenten.

Hinata nodded. "Kiba-kun MC's a lot. He must have auditioned."

"You guys know him?" asked Sakura.

"Ran into him at school" said Tenten.

"Knew him since we were kids" replied Hinata

"Knew him because he knew Hinata" added Neji.

"Knew him because he lived in my neighborhood when I was a kid" said Ino

"Knew him because I lived right next to Ino" murmured a woken Shikamaru

"Knew him because we skated at the park sometimes" smiled Naruto

"Knew him because I skated with them" said Gaara

"Knew him because I was with Gaara" grinned Matsuri

"Knew him because I skated too" hn'ed Sasuke

"Skate?" questioned Tenten, her eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, you should come sometime!" said Naruto.

They all shut up when some band threw cashews at them. Tenten threw a barrage of salted almonds right back.

"Son of an idiotic fish" she muttered at the male who had flashed her the bird.

Kiba was rattling away about the smash off.

"Smash off starts the day after tomorrow people! Report to the large auditorium at 7:30 in the morning. Doors close at 7:45 exactly. You get lost, your problem. You sleep in, your problem." He glanced down at the card he was holding. "Procedures will be explained at the auditorium so don't get all messed up kay? All instruments should be loaded in by 6:00 in morning. Until then you wont be doing anything band related but practice. As for judges, you'll have to wait."

Sai stole the mike with an expert hand.

"You start anything with the other bands you'll be kicked out so be good little people until then"

Kiba wrestled for the mike as Sai offered a fake but convincing smile.

"That's all, eat dinner, get fat and get ready to play!" his voice turned strangely professional "Thank you this has been an announcement from Inuzuka Kiba and Sai."

With a click the mike was set back into place and they walked pompously off the stage. The lights came back on to reveal the buffet that was lined on the other side of the room.

Naruto's eyes narrowed to slits in delight. AD followed Naruto to the head of the long line but Tenten motioned IB to stay behind.

"We still have a plan to do" she muttered. "How long until these kick in?" she asked Sakura.

"Lets say hour and a half" she shrugged "don't put them in until they've finished, just in case."

They all smiled and innocently walked over to the growing line.

5 bowls of ramen, 21 kebabs, 8 burritos, 4 plates of sushi, 3 platters of fried rice, 8 plates of various meats, 5 tomatoes, 2 bowls of blueberries, 6 trips to the salad bar, half a cheesecake, half a chocolate fudge cake, a chocolate fondue, a can of whipped cream and spray cheese, 7 ice cream cones, and a bajillion drinks later the entire group sighed in relief.

"I can't eat anymore" groaned Naruto

"You look like a blimp" agreed Sasuke

"Teme"

"dobe"

"Teme"

"Dobe"

"TEME"

"DOBE"

"TE-"

Hinata knocked their heads together.

"Sorry" she said as they tried to regain their senses.

AD struggled up and went back to get something to go with their near full glasses. Sakura motioned to the girls and they easily popped open the tiny white pill. They poured it into their designated victim's drink and by the time the boys got back the milky stream of white was gone and the girls were talking about how fat they would get from the food. Tenten watched, trying to be inconspicuous as they guys finished their drinks. After an hour or so of talking they stood up and prepared to leave. The guys were all yawning but seemed to find nothing wrong with it. They said good bye to the girls and wandered off to their own large suite. Ino rubbed her hands together as she pulled out a violet hairpin and handed it out to Matsuri.

"For later keeping" she grinned.

They went back to their room and dressed casually but unrecognizably. Hinata had managed to find them all black tinted sunglasses that looked sort of like lab goggles or visors. Tenten dressed in a black sweater with dark blue basket ball shorts, Sakura wore a long trench coat like jacket over a black tee and pink knee length sweatpants, Ino wore black tennis shorts and a long sleeved purple shirt, Matsuri wore a open jacket over capris, and Hinata wore a long jacket that covered her hands over black skinny jeans. They all slipped on the black visors, grabbed their supplies and headed out. No one noticed them in the halls as they walked slowly to the elevator. It was hard not to laugh as they reached the room and Matsuri pulled out the sparkling purple pin.

"Go for it" whispered Tenten.

Matsuri gave the pin a quick kiss, dubbing it royal and inserted it into the keyhole. After a second or two of silence there was a click and the door opened. Tenten didn't realize she had been holding her breath until after the door opened. AD's suite was a pure mess. Clothes and food littered the floor but no one moved. Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji were sprawled on the floor, next to the TV and some game controls while Shikamaru and Gaara were lucky enough to have been in a chair or a bed by the time the pill kicked in. As quietly as possible Tenten crept over to Neji and started to work. She started with the hair. As she ran her hand through Neji's dark brown locks she giggled a little. His hair was so freakin soft! What did he use? She rapidly mixed some silver hair dye in one bowl and light blue in the other. After letting it settle she ran a brush through his hair and picked out strands to cover in the mixture. She wrapped them in aluminum foil and let the hair be. She moved on to the face. Neji's pale face was unblemished and perfect for working with. She drew on a good amount of eyeliner and applied mascara to his lashed. After capping the lid to the mascara she pulled out the make up glue and trailed a thin line above the top of his eyeliner, letting it curl to the under side a little as well. She then sprinkled silver glitter onto the glue, blowing away the stray sparkles. Then she picked out bluish green jewels and glued them onto the corners of his eyes. Afterwards she outlined the glitter line with 3 tiny jewels on either side of the large one. Happy with her work she applied pale foundation and a moderate brush of blush onto his cheeks. She made sure that the foundation covered up some of his eyes brows, giving her just enough room to draw on new ones. She gently painted on barely visible lip gloss and considered herself a genius. His nails, she painted an alternating silver and teal. Once the dye had fully set in she unwrapped the foil and sprayed the hair with some water. Then she brushed it out and let it fall. When she looked at her project, Neji really did look like a girl who had fallen asleep after a huge party but something was missing. She looked around and caught Ino's eye. The blonde seemed to understand and a curling iron flew at her head. Tenten ninja instincts told her to duck but caught it anyway. She gently curled the first strip of hair on either side and was done. She looked over to the other guys and started choking. Sasuke's hair had been brushed down to girly perfection and hung just past his shoulders in loose pigtails. The tips of his hair and bangs were lined with mint green, as were his eyes. Pink and red fire like jewels circulated his eyes and a pink frosty lip gloss was over his lips. Naruto's hair was now mostly brown and his short hair came over in bangs. It was ruffled and his cerulean eyes were outlined in black and dark blue eyeliner, silver and blighter blue jewels out lining the top. His delicate eyebrows were arced so that he, no she, had a mildly surprised but content on her face. Shikamaru's hair was longer that expected and Ino had flipped it all. It looked messy in a good way for a girl. Green eyeliner accompanied paler jewels that curved outwards. One set of jewels created a purple and red flower at his right eye. His hair was highlighted blonde and light green and flew all over the place. Finally Gaara's flaming hair had been highlighted with black and an occasional brown. Teal colored eye liner blended in with his black and dark navy and black jewels tattooed his eyes and the love sign on his forehead. Matsuri had given him eyebrows which made him basically unrecognizable. The girls wandered around, examining their work. After much approval they set to work on the hardest part of the mission. Tenten asked for all the bungee cords and she managed to rig 5 mirrors that would swing down when triggered and Hinata pasted 5 more onto the ceiling with tape. Ino and Matsuri stretched the slinkies to the mirrors and TV while Sakura tied them to desks and chairs. Tenten turned the volume of the TV to high and triggered the slinkie to Naruto, who moved around the most. As the final part they all pulled out their digital cameras and snapped a few pictures. Tenten pulled back Neji's arms to make it look like he was striking a pose in his sleep. Just before they left Hinata opened the silver Mac at a desk and pulled up all 5 sites. Then they left, closing the door quietly behind them.

The next morning a loud blast woke up the Hyuuga prodigy. His pale eyes snapped open as the sound of the loudest newscaster on earth busted his eardrums. He leapt up but Gaara had already reached the TV, finger pressed against the volume button. The TV went to a low mumble and Neji sighed. Until he heard someone curse loudly.

"What the fuking fukkity fuck fuck" growled Shikamaru.

It was then Neji noticed the lengths of slinkies and bungee cords that scattered the room. The bright sunlight reflected off of mirrors that had miraculously swung down from the ceilings. Neji peered into them and what he saw wasn't himself. He saw a beautiful girl with long flowing hair highlighted in blue and silver. Her eyes were done to perfection and she looked back at him in confusion that mirrored his own.

"Fuck indeed" he murmured.

He whirled to get a good look at the others and found that they too were the alternate genders of their own. Sasuke and Shikamaru were already crowded around one table in which Neji's Mac had been the night before. He pushed some papers aside and squeezed in to get a good look. 5 sites all blared in highlighted flashing letters: NEJI3SASUKE3NARUTO3SHIKA-

MARU3GAARA-all the latest news!

Under this huge heading was in bright red letters: GIRLFRIENDS?

There on the screens were the girls Neji saw before him. The girl he had seen in the mirror, their girlfriends.

**Once again. 4 words: Bungee. Cords. And. Slinkies. :D the reasons the past chapters have been short or just average is because this one is more than three times longer. 17 pages. Review if you like Bungee Cords, Slinkies, and Silly String. hehehehe**


	13. Attack of Yoda, Muffins, and Epicness

**Thanks to bright-rebellious, Blazing-May, Rose Tiger, Itz All Good, XAlternativeXMusicXGirl, SieraXD, FoebaMiddonaito, BB'sEnergyWeilder, and Katarina Wolffe.**

**Whoop whoopity whoop whoop! Over 50 reviews! I thank all of you guys who have reviewed. Evarrrrr. I owe you guys one XD. **

**RECAP**

Shikamaru enlargened his own fansite and clicked on the link. The rapid connection allowed the professional looking pictures to be uploaded in a few seconds. Under them and article filed out in hot pink letters that nearly blinded them.

**GIRLFRIENDS?**

By _TheEpicCherryBomb_

Pictures by _TheAllSeeingLilac_

As of yesterday official pictures of the girlfriends of Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji, Subaku no Gaara, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke were posted onto the thread 3 Pics **(link)**. No one is quite sure who these girls might be but ladies you have competition! For more follow the links below to find out more from exclusives.

_TheBladedTerror_: Hyuuga Neji **(link)**

_TheHotOneInPurple_: Nara Shikamaru **(link)**

_ThatOneCrazyGirl_: Subaku no Gaara **(link)**

_TheEpicCherryBomb_: Uchiha Sasuke **(link)**

_TheAllSeeingLilac_: Uzumaki Naruto **(link)**

The guys stared at the article on the screen before turning to look at each other.

"Omigod" gasped Naruto "I look hot"

Sasuke whacked him over the head but had to admit someone had done a very nice job at girlifying them. All of them were beyond the point of recognition and the only way they could tell each other apart was through the habits. Naruto was still admiring himself in a non-gay way, Shikamaru was still half asleep and Gaara had returned to his chair, staring back up at the patterned ceiling. Neji still looked somewhat like himself due to the eyes and Sasuke was struggling to redo his trademark duck ass. Neji decided to look closer and noticed the sparkles at his eyes. Jewels? How was he supposed to get them out? He picked lightly at them but they stuck hard. Wincing he saw Sasuke trying to wipe off the make up but it only made it worse.

"Dammit, I ruined the mascara."

There was a silence before the guys cracked up.

"Y-you sound so gay" coughed up Naruto.

Then he saw that his orange and pink colored nails had begun to chip in a corners.

"My nails!" he gasped leaning in to look closer.

Sasuke smirked "Yeah, you're the one that doesn't care."

Naruto pouted and pointed out the running line of Neji's eyeliner. He immediately straightened and hastily went to a mirror to wipe it away. Even Gaara was worried about his crazy colored eyes but then again he wore epic eyeliner everyday. Shikamaru had woken from his sleep to announce the brainwashing of them all.

"This is what make up does to you" he whispered, pulling out a huge flashlight and holding it under his face.

The jewels in his eyes glowed and he looked like a devil grim reaper.

"I know what we need to do."

They rest regained their composures and leaned in.

"What?" asked Neji.

Shikamaru took a deep breath and started his tale.

"So, It was a dark and stormy night…a really dark and stormy night."

He paused to heighten the effect but continued before anyone could stop him.

"…and…there was a mountain on a mountain and a temple in a temple and a monk and the monk said-"

Sasuke bashed him in the head and the brainwashed teen ducked from the impact. A resounding thock bounced off the walls and even Gaara winced. Neji stood up and went to the bathroom. He didn't bother to wash his face, knowing that it wouldn't come off but he did try to wash out the hair dye. It stuck and Neji leaned in to peer at the hairs. The hair dye was literally part of his brown locks, no chunks or anything hung from the strands. The pissy male reported to the others and they sat, thinking. Naruto was in the middle of stroking an exceptionally long beard and pretending to be Gandalf the White when something came to him.

"I HAVE IT!" he crowed. "TO THE GIRLS, WE SHALL GO!"

Neji glared at him.

"They're the ones who did this to us."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"That, I know, young Jedi but make up remover, they have."

His eyes glazed over in a moment of wiseness.

"I though you were supposed to be Gandalf" said Sasuke

"That, I am" answered Naruto.

"That's Yoda" corrected Gaara.

A confused look crossed Naruto's face and he morphed back into his usual speak.

"Oh"

Neji rubbed his temples and looked to Shikamaru.

"We need make up remover, right?"

The girl nodded, her flippy hair swaying. They all thought for a moment before standing up abruptly. They didn't want to venture out but this was their reputation at stake.

"BEGIN OUR JOURNEY, WE SHALL!" crowed Naruto one finger up in the air.

"Still Yoda" muttered Neji, as they closed the door.

Tenten yawned from her sleep and rubbed her eyes in a childish way. After the girls had come back they had posted all the pictures on the sites. The bun head sighed contentedly and stretched kitty style her white MacBook was open next to her, still warm from all the computer activity last night. She got up and went over to take a shower with out waking the others up. She came out 10 minutes later, dressed in a pink tank top and black basket ball shorts, when someone knocked on her door. Hinata, who had wakened rushed to open it. Tenten walked over, drying her hair with a towel when several girls came into view.

"Hm?" she asked drowsily.

Hinata elbowed the still sleepy brunette in the ribs. Tenten shook the last of the water from her hair and recognized the guys.

"Uh, who are you?" she asked, draping the wet towel around her neck.

The one with onyx and mint green hair in pigtails stepped forwards.

"Come on Tenten. You know who we are"

"Hn?" she answered, using Neji's trademark word.

The girl that could have been Neji's twin stepped up and glared at her through familiar pearl eyes.

"We know. Just give us the makeup remover"

Tenten grinned and let Hinata take over from there as she went to retrieve the bottles.

"Neji-nii-san?" cried the girl as if just recognizing her cousin. "You went and got a sex change?"

Hinata hesitated, then leaned forwards to wrap her cousin in a frail hug.

"Don't worry, I'll still love you like a sibling, even if you're different"

Laughter shook her skinny body as she let go and rushed into the room to laugh. Ino leapt up at the unfamiliar sound and she looked around blearily.

"Unghdsjai?" she asked.

Then she saw Hinata on the floor in fetal position, hands slapped over her mouth with tears running down her face. In anger she rose up and marched over to the door.

"Okay, which one of you bitches made her cry?"

The guys blinked at the site of Ino. She was wearing a purple cami with baggy short shorts and her blonde hair was flying in wisps. After a while Ino noticed and her eyes brightened.

"Ooooh! Hi guys!" she said her voice taking a sudden cheerful tone before turning to Shikamaru.

"I wasn't expecting any of you to get changed so soon but if you'd like I'll break it to your mother for you!"

The girl labeled Shikamaru stiffened and her eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't tell that troublesome woman." Shikamaru's voice growled.

Ino grinned and pulled out a black and purple cell that she kept in her pocket.

"Hm….nope…and…ah, here we are." She paused and turned the phone so the guys could see.

"Nara _. 242-863-9273" she read.

Shikamaru lunged for the phone just as Ino pressed the green call button. There was a moment of silence before Ino said in a pleasant voice.

"Oh, Hi …Yes, this is Ino….I'm doing fine…so is Shika-kun…" she smiled happily at the boys. "…oh, yeah, can I talk to_?...she's out?...i see…okay, then could you please ask her to call back?...I see…okay…thanks!" The blonde flipped her phone shut in disappointment.

"Don't think its over, Shika-kun" she yawned and was about to shut the door but Naruto rammed a foot in.

The other blonde remembered his walk through the lobby and was not about to do it again.

**FLASHBACK**

The guys crept across the brightly lit room and tried to ignore the stares. A couple of wolf whistles came their way but the combination of Hyuuga and Uchiha glare power shut them up. They were close o the hallway that branched off to the girls' room when Neji felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You free tonight?" asked a freakishly tall man.

Some others followed the bold move and surrounded the other guys before they all got pissed and punched the gays to the next millennia.

**FLASHBACK END**

Everyone shivered at the remembrance of having arms around shoulders and waists.

"Make up remover, we need" he said, his blue eyes begging in a puppy-like way.

Ino frowned but opened the door as Tenten came with the bottles.

"Is this what you need?" the brunette asked, her head cocked to one side.

Neji smirk/glared at the brunette. Her hair was wet and messy but she looked as mocking as ever. Gaara tried to use his ninja skills and grab for them but another hand blocked his as Tenten reeled back.

"Not yet" murmured a just woken Sakura.

Her eyes were glazed and she wasn't even looking at them. Matsuri joined the four and she smiled at her artwork. She stoked her beard, which caused Naruto to yell out: "GANDALF THE GRAY, SHE IS!"

"That's Yoda" chided Tenten.

Matsuri frowned but nodded slowly and kept stroking her Gandalf beard.

"Just give them the remover" she said. "Our work is done anyway."

Tenten pouted but allowed the bottles to be taken form her. Hinata invited the guys in and they all rushed to the bathroom in a fight for the water. The female Hyuuga giggled as she looked to the camera she had wired to Tenten's Mac. Inside, the guys were fighting each other for tissues and water. Naruto even stepped into the shower and doused himself until the make up was clear and the trademark whiskers came back into view. The guys exited to see the girls laughing on the beds. They looked pretty much the same now except for the dye and the jewels. Tenten waved then over and the girls set to work prying off the glittering jewels. Neji winced as Tenten popped off the largest ones and started on the smaller. Tenten noticed him wince and her movements became gentler. The smaller ones hurt less and were off in a minute. He leaned back and fell onto the floor in relief. He folded his hands together and closed his eyes.

"Thank Kami" he whispered.

Sasuke and Gaara fell on either side at the same time and took up similar positions and thanked God. Sakura laughed and knelt down besides them. Tenten flipped out from the top of the bed and hung upside down, scaring them all in the quick ninja movement. Ino rolled over, pushing Shikamaru off the bed and next to them and Matsuri went to kneel next to Sakura. Hinata gently nudged Naruto away and the two joined everyone on the floor.

"Breakfast?" asked Neji, yawning in a semi-content way.

They all trooped down in the same attire and lined up for breakfast. The buffet line held a whole matter of stuff. Matsuri was up front and her eyes widened as she caught site of…a mountain of muffins. It was a whole stack of them. One tier held chocolate chip. Another had blueberry, another had cranberry, another had peanut butter, another with lemon poppy seed, and another with gingerbread like stuff. The very top held the best. Chocolate muffins filled with warm melted chocolate on the inside dusted with confectioners sugar surrounded a platter of fruit and chocolate fondue. Matsuri grabbed Tenten's arm and they ran for the muffins quickly followed by the rest. With a quick look to make sure no guards were anywhere Neji, Sasuke, Gaara, and Tenten combined ninja skills to steal the entire thing. They carried it off to their table and sat down. Naruto dug in first, quickly followed by Matsuri. After that everyone started eating. Tenten had grabbed for two of the chocolate ones when Shikamaru grabbed the other half and it split. Warm chocolate exploded and the brunettes retreated with their halves. Tenten eagerly dipped a finger into the chocolate puddle and smeared a mustache onto Neji's face. The Hyuuga responded by giving her streaks on her cheeks that made her look like an Indian. Sakura joined in and Sasuke ended up with side burns while Hinata had outlined Naruto's whiskers. Tenten laughed when she saw Sakura, who was trying to turn away.

"Way to go duck ass!" she slapped him a high five on his face, leaving chocolate imprint of her hand.

Sakura whirled and revealed the dark fuzzy and enormously huge eyebrows that had been painted on.

"Not fair!" she wailed.

Then pink and orange fire evaporated the green in her eyes and Sakura yelled: SHANNARO! In two seconds flat Sasuke adorned a goatee, a mustache, a beard, sideburns, larger eyebrows, Naruto's whiskers, Gaara's tattoo, and huge tear ducts. Ino cracked up and tackled Shikamaru into the same get up. Tenten, Hinata, and Matsuri did the same trying to avoid the flying hands of the guys. By the time someone else walked over there were 5 extremely old guys that looked suspiciously like Gai, Gandalf, Sherlock Holmes, Naruto, Itachi and Gaara all rolled into one. One girl looked like the Asian version of Sacagawea while another two were like Louis and Clarke. The final two girls sported thick handlebars and light goatees and twirled their forks as if they were knives.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" asked Kiba.

They all turned simultaneously, looks of horror on their faces.

"Nothing" coughed Neji, delicately wiping off his beard as he glared at the brunette who had caused all of this.

Kiba deadpanned and grabbed a chocolate chip muffin as the rest wiped off as well. Before long the impersonations of Gai, Itachi, Gandalf, Sherlock Holmes, Sacagawea, Louis, Clarke, and Napoleon were replaced by the members of IB and AD.

"You guys ready for the first round?" asked the dog-loving boy as he finished off the muffin.

"Pshyeah dog boy" answered Naruto.

Kiba grinned widely and opened his jacket. A huge white head popped out and let out a small whine.

"Akamaru!" said Hinata.

The white dog barked at the familiar voice and leapt into her arms. He licked a stray bit of chocolate from her face as Hinata struggled to keep him down.

"Wow" muttered Tenten "You were hiding him before too, right? And here I was thinking you were just a fat ass"

Kiba scowled at her and turned back to his dog. Naruto and the other girls had come to pry the large dog off of Shikamaru's face. He was still asleep by the time they got it off.

"Hm?" he muttered, sniffing the air. "Why do I smell like dog piss?"

Tenten choked on her juice and pointed to his jacket.

"All over your front, genius"

Shikamaru yelped and jumped up. Glaring at the white dog who was in Ino's arms he struggled out of the jacket.

"That is being recycled" he muttered.

Ino rolled her eyes and set the dog free. It ran to its next victim but stopped and whined to be picked up. Tenten stared at Akamaru, who was at her feet.

"You're a freakin huge dog" she told him.

Akamaru continued to whine, his slit eyes curving down in disappointment. Tenten sighed and heaved him up onto her lap. She scratched him behind his ears as the hands of Sakura, Matsuri, Ino and Hinata joined hers. Kiba stood off to the side, his hands in his pockets.

"Not much to do today, huh?" he said to the guys.

Neji shrugged. "Nothing. Practice can wait until tomorrow"

Sasuke and Gaara nodded along with him. Kiba propped his face on a hand and waved outside the window.

"The hotel's having an expo here." He said.

"On what?" asked Sakura.

Kiba thought for a while. "I think it's on just Pop Culture. Wanna go?"

The 10 members knew they had nothing much to do so they allowed themselves to be led by the MC to the far end of the hotel. It was a large room with stairs on one end that led to a second balcony floor. One wall was a huge window and they could see more activities going on at the large field/garden. The huge area was covered in stalls selling food, homemade items, and offering games. Further on were several portable DDR sets and a large screen showing different animes. Next to the screen was another set of tables that had manga and fanart on display. They wandered through all the stalls, picking up food and other items. They got separated but after an hour or so they all ended up in the middle.

"FIRGHIIKN!"

Tenten, who was with Sakura, Hinata, Matsuri, and Ino turned to see Naruto and Kiba on the other end of the round area. Naruto had three sticks of dango stuffed into his mouth and was holding another 5. Kiba just had a bare stick protruding from the side of his mouth while Akamaru's mouth was lined with them. Kiba stuck in another one to complete the fan of light pink, green, and beige.

"Hey!" called Sakura.

They met in the middle and Naruto started rambling again.

"RWINYINFAPFIALIGISNID!-" he said, waving his arms around in gestures.

Kiba cut him off mid-sentence and explained that the others were somewhere else. Then he questioned the black shirts the girls had mysteriously changed into. Tenten looked down and remembered. All 5 of them were wearing black shirts that said in white letters: IGNORANT BLISS

Multicolored pain splatters decorated the words and shirt. Hinata turned around, arm in arm with Ino and revealed the back. It read: PWNS YOUR ASS in multicolored letters with white paint splatters. Kiba laughed and smacked a high five with Matsuri.

"There was a stall doing these in the far back" explained Tenten.

Naruto's eyes bulged and he disappeared for about 15 minutes. When he came back he sported an orange shirt that had a huge bowl of ramen on the front. White letters that spelled out RAMENRAMENRAMEN covered the entire shirt. He had relieved himself of the food and could finally talk again.

"…" he chanted shaking his fist up and down.

Kiba whacked him and he quieted. Soon after, Neji, Sasuke and Gaara approached them. They took one look at the shirts and dead panned. All 11 people and one dog stood in the middle. They had seen all the stalls, save outside and the second floor. Someone had started an argument on which place they should go.

"Second" said Gaara

"OUTSIDE!" said Naruto

"Who agrees with the ninja?" asked Matsuri using the ninja trick.

10 hands and a bark rose into the air. Naruto looked down at Akamaru and glared with yellow orange eyes.

"You traitor" he said.

Akamaru whimpered but calmed when Hinata laid a hand on his furry back.

"I STILL SAY OUTSIDE!" Naruto yelled stubbornly.

There was some more arguing and Tenten's ears were buzzing from the shouting. She looked to the stairs that led to the balcony and spotted a white sign. She leaned in closer to read to blurry red letters and fell over.

"GAME COMPETITION!" she yelled form the floor.

Everyone stopped arguing and raced for the stairs. They made it upstairs to see several people in Epic Games T-shirts. They were taking people who were registering for the competition. They all got through the line and waited with the other competitors.

"I beat all the high-level scores on ever game at my arcade" bragged one.

"Oh yeah? I beat all the high level scores on every game in 2 arcades." Said another.

"3!" yelled someone else.

Tenten rolled her eyes and surveyed the room. There were about 50 competitors and 5 screens. 10 players per screen. The brunette had no clue how this was going to work out when a girl about their age with short teal hair stepped up.

"uh…hello?...HELLO?"

There was silence. She grinned in approval and looked at everyone. She cocked her head and motioned to the screens.

"As many of you might have noticed we only have 5 screens so we only let 50 people in on this. 10 people per screen. How this works is that we'll have a different game for most rounds. Most of them will be multi player games that end up with people getting knocked out. Most of the rounds will have the two people with the lowest scores getting kicked out. Some of the others might have multiple rounds in one game session. There'll be about…" she paused to think " 5 rounds and 3 games. Once there are 4 people at each screen the last rounds will start. The 20 people left will be grouped into 2 screens. 6 will be kicked out from each screen and the remaining 8 people will advance to the preliminaries. You'll all be in one screen and the 4 people left will go to the finals. From there we'll decide the winners." She waved at the groups of people meant to be monitors and judges. "Third place prize: 15 bucks and a game chip of your choice. Second place: 30 bucks and any game of your choice. First place: 60 bucks and any game system of your choice."

Tenten's eyes glistened at the thought of any game system. She nudged Sakura and watched the nudge travel down the line until Naruto nudged someone else and got elbowed back. More people with EG tees split them up into groups. Tenten, Naruto, Sasuke, and 7 others went to the first screens. Neji, Hinata, and 8 others went to number 2; Ino, Sakura, and 8 others to number 3; Shikamaru, Gaara, and 8 others to number 4; and Kiba, Matsuri, and 8 others to the final. (These were all randomly drawn, I swear. They don't mean anything.) More members inserted games into the slots, loaded the screens, and passed out game controls. Tenten gripped her black one and let the familiar vibration run through her. On either side of her were Naruto and Sasuke. Ironic, really.

"I'm gonna beat you teme" said Naruto, sticking another stick of dango in his mouth.

"Hn" replied Sasuke.

Tenten grinned at the two friends and stuck the lollipop she had gotten from a stall into her mouth. It would help her concentrate. The sweetness of the raspberry flavored candy sharpened her senses and she realized what the first game was going to be: Super Smash Bros. The crackling dark blue screen switched two a large list of profiles. People at her screen rapidly searched for their characters, choosing the best before others got them. Tenten grinned as a childish urge overcame her senses. She clicked through and clicked a character just before someone else did. She heard someone else curse and smirked as a computerized voice chirped: Yoshi! Tenten giggled and copied the high-pitched voice that started out low and ranged to a high squeak.

"Yoshi!"

"MARIO!"

Tenten looked over to the side to see Naruto. His mouth bulged and the trademark 'it's a me MARIO!' came out in a distorted jumble. The brunette laughed as another voice joined in.

"Luigi"

Sasuke was sitting Indian style and had his hands propped up on his knees. His mouth was hidden behind his folded hands but the other two could tell it was him.

"That's copying, Teme!" said Naruto.

Sasuke smirked "No it's not dobe."

"Is too" Naruto argued back.

Sasuke ignored him and resumed the chant.

"Luigi, Luigi, Luigi, Luigi, Lui-"

"Yoshi!"

Sasuke glared at Tenten and she peaced back. Then the screen morphed into a lay out of battlefields. Some people started calling out requests but the game managers clicked random. The small box switched pictures until it landed on one that depicted a set of white ruins on a blue sky. The bright lighting blinded Tenten and she barely had time to recover before all of the characters fell from the sky. She immediately spotted Yoshi and ran to hide in a corner. After awhile she burst out and tackled Link. She saw the green and brown figure fly into the air and off one end. She giggled and went out into the middle. As the green dino jumped and avoided attacks she spotted a tiny hammer that had just appeared.

"Hammer!" she yelled as Yoshi raced for the weapon.

Yoshi reached it and absorbed the little bubble. A large hammer appeared in its hands and Tenten maneuvered it so that Yoshi hit anything in its path.

"Hammer!" she warned the others.

Yoshi gleefully jumped from rune to rune, squashing Pikachu, Little Link and finally Mario. Naruto wailed as the red dressed midget got pushed off the grass. Tenten giggled wickedly and moved to squash someone else when Luigi barreled into her from behind. Tenten cursed at herself for not noticing the green man. Yoshi was forced back to the edge but just before the dino fell Tenten free-smashed on the buttons. Yoshi raised the hammer up abnormally high and jumped as it came down in a crash wave. Luigi was caught in the middle of the attack and flew away into an anime styled star. Several other characters fell away and Yoshi landed safely at the very edge. Tenten punched the air in victory only to be pushed back by a revived Link.

"Nooooooooooo!" she wailed, facepalming with grief.

There was a two second wait and then Yoshi reappeared at the top of the screen, balancing on a hovercraft. Tenten moved him back to ground floor and she immediately attacked Donkey Kong. He rammed into her but Yoshi kept his ground. Donkey Kong was really going at it and Yoshi was near dead. There was only a couple of minutes left on the timer and some of the stragglers had just completely died. Tenten knew if she wanted to stay good in the game she would have to go on a score rampage. She free-smashed again with the buttons and Yoshi appeared with a combo.

"YOSHI!" wailed the green dino.

Donkey Kong was reduced to a pile of smush.

Giggling like a maniac Tenten went for Jiggly but it pulled an extremely creepy move and Tenten's life meter went down. She ran away over a crashed building and hid until Sonic zoomed past. She grabbed the blue hedgehog and drop kicked him. Sonic got up and finished off Yoshi. Tenten chewed at the lollipop stick and waited for the hover craft to come back. There was even less time now and she didn't know what place she was in. Yoshi was fully revived and Tenten continued her rampage. She, Kirby, Luigi, and Peach went into a crowded brawl and the group drew closer to the edge. Kirby blew in and started to suck in Peach until Luigi hit him in the head and Yoshi punched it in the stomach. Kirby lost power and left out a huge puff of air. Yoshi managed to push Luigi out of the way and jump into the air and hover there while making a straining sound.

"eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" went Yoshi.

Luigi and Peach fell over the side and Tenten allowed her character to fall to the patch of grass below her. Just for good measure she pushed Kirby off the edge as well. She was about to crush Young Link when the timer went off and the ruins disappeared. Tenten dropped her black game control and pulled the stick out of her mouth. She discarded it and stuck in another apple flavored one. Besides her Sasuke was breathing a little heavily. His hands moved around in practiced motions, pulling off invisible combos and attacks.

"Lots of practice?" Tenten asked, motioning to his hands.

Sasuke nodded silently. His hands calmed a little but they still twitched in anticipation. On her other side, Naruto had fallen backwards. His hands held a broken dango stick and his control. Tenten offered him a lollipop and the blonde took it gratefully. Tenten had been wary of giving him sugar but he looked really deprived. The gamekeepers came forwards, recorded the scores on sheets of paper and slipped the came disc out of the system. They came back later with game for the next round. The girl who had explained the rules exchanged the disc and she winked at them.

"You guys are doing really great. Good luck" she said.

She went to the front after that and accepted a sheet of paper from a dark haired guy. She coughed lightly into her palm before speaking.

"We'll be starting Round two right after I announce who has been eliminated. From Screen 1: Kawasaki Kain, Kouzuki Hiromu. From Screen 2: Yamamoto Hideki, Kagamine Chiyo. From Screen 3: Otomiya Haine, Edowaga Suzaku. From Screen 4: Amamiya Takuto, Suoh Mitsuki. From Screen 5: Kawataki Konan, Kuchiki Aoi. Please exit to the left. You can stay if you'd like to finish watching the rest of the competition but please stay where you wont disturb the others. Thanks and good luck to the remaining people."

She walked off to the sides and the guy who had given her the paper motioned to the other workers to start the round.

**That really was a random place to stop but yeah…I couldn't think of anything to happen for the next day so this is what's going to happen. Anyways Shikamaru's story of 'a mountain on a mountain and a temple in a temple and a monk and the monk said…' I dunno where it originated from. It first heard it in a Bleach skit on Youtube so it belongs to who ever made it up. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Or else Yoshi shall come and squash you all. XD**


	14. I is ninja

I IS NINJA

**Yo**

**Thanks to roseangel555, cutiecocoa6, SieraXD, MoonKrystal, kitten9322, bright-rebellious, and shocky808. You guys are awesome and you deserve cookies. From the dark side. **

**Sorry, this is another filler chapter. Just put up with it because it keeps the story going. **

Tenten realized that all the people wearing EG tees were teens about their age.

'_huh'_ she thought to herself.

The screen before her lit up once again and a loud drum intro played at different intervals. The gamekeepers expertly maneuvered through the screens and they ended up at another lay out of characters. The top of the screen read: Clash of Ninja. Tenten chuckled to herself and searched for some strong looking ninjas. She finally settled on a girl with long black hair in a ponytail in the bottom left corner. After everyone had chosen their characters the screen unraveled in a scroll like fashion. The gamekeepers clicked something called story mode and 4 ninjas popped up in a stone arena surrounded by a lit town. Then they paused to explain to the confused competitors whose ninjas hadn't shown up.

"The game only lets us play 4 people at one time. It'll be a quick elimination game but we'll let you have a practice round first to get used to the players."

Tenten studied the 4 ninjas on the screen and found none recognizable. She set down her control and watched oriental styled numbers count down from three. On either side of her rapid buttoning started. Naruto was intensely free walling while Sasuke was calmly running his hands over the keys. Tenten decided that the ninja that jumped around and randomly spouted attacks was Naruto. He was blonde and shorthaired, just like his controller. He wore a black facemask and had an orange scarf around his neck. The other male was ducking away from the attacks of the others, fitting one of his own in. His bluish black hair and entirely black clothing was hard to tell apart from the gray stone and dim light. Tenten made sure to keep these two in mind as the round finished. The next 4 ninja's included Tenten's. Her long ponytail swished as she fell into a protective stance. The count down started again and Tenten experimented with the multiple kicks and turns the girl could do. Tenten had a hard time avoiding the small flames her opponent sent out but kept from getting high damage. The ninja spun in a series of perfect round house kicks and jumps. Tenten's hand slipped and found the R button which caused the screen to freeze and the girl to fall to her knees. Tenten panicked until she saw he ninja raise her hands in a seal. A silvery light shot at her opponent and she froze, only to be hit by a freakin mega ton huge boulder. Tenten cheered at the new discovery and her round ended. After the last two people had gone she found herself in the arena again. She was faced off with a longhaired ninja and they both prepared to fight. When the could down ended she could here another set of hands clacking at the other end of her screen. Tenten immediately attacked when the 1 disappeared. The other ninja was caught off guard by the rapid kicks that came his way. Tenten kept pushing the (b) button, repeating the kick again and again. When she pressed another attack for the second time the other ninja managed to find an opening and he had the top hand. Tenten struggled to get away and she ran. When the other ninja came back she turned and started her kick-kick-kick-kick-punch-flip-kick routine again. The other ninja kept finding openings and Tenten's bar went down. She pressed the R button in a moment of exhilaration and she fell again. The silver shot met the ninja square in the chest and he got ran over. Tenten sighed but the other ninja pressed another button and the screen opened again. He rushed in for an attack and Tenten free walled in her panic. The unavoidable attack came to her…and the screen drew back. Tenten had somehow stopped the bajillion punches she had seen him deliver earlier. Tenten smiled and finished off the ninja in one last burst of her routine. Her ninja smiled and punched the air in victory ((fight based off the one time I've played Clash of Ninja. Tenten's ninja is Ino (me). The other is Neji (the guy I was playing)) Nearby, she could hear the gamekeeper scratch something onto the paper. Tenten sat back and watched several other ninjas fight it out in groups of two. She started to get the plan when Naruto's ninja stepped up to the screen. He started by running around in large circles and letting himself being chased. Then he suddenly stopped and pressed attack. A low punch met the on coming ninja followed by several other punches and kicks. The other ninja, a girl with short blue-black hair jumped back and aimed more punches. Naruto got hit once or twice before the screen opened up to her special attack. Her eyes grew pale and she fell into perfect ninja position. Tenten glanced over to see Naruto's mixed expression of panic and curiosity. The multiple punches hit Naruto's ninja in his gut.

"2! 4! 8! 16! 32! 64!" called out the girl as she counted the punches.

Naruto's ninja fell back in defeat and Tenten could see that his life meter was devastatingly low.

"GACK!"

Naruto started choking on the dango stick and Tenten had to slam his back. Naruto got back up and tried for another punch. He got kicked before he finally figured out what to do. Tenten could practically read the "oh" on his lips as his finger descended on the R button. It triggered the screen and two more of Naruto's ninja appeared. They all joined in together to form a whirring circle of blue and set the original free. Naruto flew at the girl who couldn't move. She flew back and died from Naruto's final punch. Naruto giggled, his eyes turning to slits as the screen moved on.

Sasuke came on at the very end. His opponent attacked head on. Sasuke jumped back and pressed the L button that no one had bothered to use before. He blew out multiple balls of fire and his opponent had to stay back. The scarecrow puppet that he carried was losing life rapidly from the long distance attacks. Sasuke turned into a blur on the screen and burned away most of the scarecrow. His special attack blew a huge fireball onto the straw puppet and it died. Sasuke sat silently, reveling in his speedy victory. Tenten scowled at him with Naruto beside her.

"Uchiha prodigy" they muttered, looking away from Sasuke's smirk.

The 50 people had been reduced to five each screen, 25 total. In two short games half of the people had been dropped. The last round included all five people. Tenten saw herself, Naruto, Sasuke, and 2 others on the screen. Tenten knew better than to go after either of the two. So instead she went for the weak looking ninja who had won before. He was silver haired and looked a bit older than them all. When she had reached him Naruto's character came in from the other side.

"He's mine" growled out the real Naruto.

"Never" replied Tenten.

They both attacked at the same time and the kicks that they both delivered squished the ninja mid air

"Mine, I told you!" said Naruto. "Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine!"

Tenten didn't answer and proceeded to perform her special attack. The other ninja fell for it and his power went down. Naruto stole Tenten's prey from her again and did his own attack. When the enemy fell to the ground Tenten retrieved him and drop kicked him to death. With one ninja finished the gamekeepers finished the game. The dead ninja's controller was taken away and Tenten, Naruto, Sasuke, and another guy with glasses remained. They were rounded up into two screens and were joined by Hinata, Neji, Gaara, Shikamaru, and two others. They sat down in a line and reclaimed the game controls.

"How'd you do?" Tenten asked Neji,

"Hn"

Tenten back handed him ninja style.

"C'mon. You must have done good."

Neji allowed himself to smile a little.

"There's not much to do when your uncle is loaded and hates you."

Tenten raised a brow.

"Your uncle hates you? Lovely." She concluded.

Neji's pale eyes hardened and went back to normal in the span of a second.

'Creepy' thought Tenten.

The screen flashed once more to reveal….the traditional street fighter. Tenten choked on her third lollipop and Hinata pounded her on the back.

"Don't die." Said the quiet heiress.

Tenten nodded, her eyes streaming and turned back to the familiar game of her childhood. She looked over to the other screen to see Sakura grinning widely as well. In the orphanage this was the only game that they could play on their old game system. Hours and hours of practice had given them nearly unbeatable skills. Each of the ten players were to face off a computer opponent. Tenten easily defeated hers, as did Neji, Gaara, Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Naruto. In the final rounds the gamekeepers kicked out: Hinata, Naruto, Shikamaru, and three other players. Shikamaru sighed when he lost by 10 points but stopped caring as he ambled to the sidelines. Naruto was disappointed but allowed himself to be led away by a blushing Hinata. Tenten, Sasuke, Neji, Gaara, Matsuri, and Sakura were grouped into the preliminaries while Ino and Kiba walked over to the group who had dropped out. Ino massaged her ears as she reached them.

"Did you hear Sakura yell 'SHANNARO'?"

Kiba laughed and nodded.

"Anyone could hear it…." He said.

"I didn't!" said Naruto

"….but you" finished Kiba.

Naruto smacked Kiba in the back and he leaned forwards form the impact.

"Ouch" muttered Hinata.

Naruto grinned back happily and turned back to supporting the members left in the competition. It was Street Fighter to the very end. Tenten was faced off with a fat looking boy and she killed him in the usual kicks and flips she used. Sakura was paired up with a tiny girl and she used the punches she preferred over kicks. The tiny girl proved to be a great player but after a million tiny craters Sakura beat her. Gaara fought Matsuri and after exchanging silent nods of agreement she let him beat her. Matsuri did try fairly hard but she must have known him too well to let the battle drag out for too long.

"We've gone on for about an 2 hours and a half before he beat me. Its just best to let it go after awhile" she explained later.

Sasuke and Neji were the final pair. They were so close in equal strength that the gamekeepers had to stop them after about 30 minutes. It was decided that they would win an additional 25 dollars each and a game. Neji shrugged and glared at Sasuke. He had been so close to beating him when the Uchiha had pulled an illusion on him and feigned. Neji almost always fell for it. The finals were Tenten, Sakura, and Gaara. They were in a three way street battle. Tenten glanced at Sakura and they nodded. The two ragged girls on the screen raced for the one lean guy. They rounded up on him and were tossing him around like a doll when Gaara pulled a ninja move and cornered Sakura. Tenten continued to hit him, hoping a miracle would happen but no, Sakura failed to a K.O. Gaara turned to Tenten and Tenten gulped. There was red fire in his eyes and he didn't look happy.

"Nice panda" she whispered.

Tenten went back to the same routine she had used in Clash Of Ninja but it was useless. Gaara had pulled off the unimaginable fusion of combining gang fighting and ninjas. Tenten's character lay on the ground, breathing heavily as a bright red K.O loomed over her. Tenten pouted and set down her controller. She punched Gaara lightly in the arm and he punched her back. The teal headed girl came back.

"And we have a winner!" she glanced down at the paper in her hands.

"First place: Subaku no Gaara. Second place: Tenten. Third place: Haruno Sakura. Please come get your prizes!"

There was polite clapping as they accepted the money. They were led over to the back of the room where the people had brought several game systems, game chips, and games.

"Sorry we don't have that many." Said the girl. "If you want something else we could have it shipped to you."

Gaara mutely shook his head and reached for a Game Cube. Tenten chose Super Smash Bros Brawl and Sakura chose another disc to go with the game cube. By the time they all got out, most of the large crowd that had gathered had dispersed. The others who hadn't gone were still standing in the same place, by the glass railing of the balcony that looked out onto the first floor.

"Watcha get?" asked Matsuri in a singsong voice.

Gaara handed over the Game Cube for her and the others to inspect. Tenten and Sakura piled their games on top as well.

"Nice" mused Neji.

Tenten shrugged and they stood around with nothing to do. Then they heard a low rumbling that came from nowhere.

"What was that?" asked Hinata, her pale eyes wide.

The rumbling returned and continued. Akamaru's white flappy ears shot up as he ran towards the menacing sound. He ended up kicking Naruto in the crotch. The blonde doubled over in pain and fell to his knees.

"I'm just hungry." He said once he rose.

"You're always hungry" said Shikamaru.

It was about 4 in the afternoon. The perfect time for doing nothing. The group went back out to the mountain town in which the hotel was located and walked around the shopping and tourists districts. Sakura, Ino, and Matsuri pointed out the places where they had bought stuff while Tenten and Hinata preferred to stay silent. Tenten raised her hands over her head and stretched. Then she let them fall back behind her head and yawned. The weather was so freakin nice here she thought to herself. It was mid fall and most of the leaves had turned into flames. The wind was blowing just enough to raise the tips of her bangs and it wasn't freezing either.

"…so that's where we got the temp dye" explained Sakura, waving her hand like a practiced tour guide.

"and that's the place that had all of those nail polish colors" added Matsuri into a air mike.

Ino squealed in delight.

"So many freaking colors in there! I recommend the place."

All three of them nodded solemnly to smirks, annoyed looks, giggles, and yawns. They passed a building that had a huge line of people in the front.

"Oh?" said Matsuri, placing a hand over her mouth.

"What could this be?" followed Ino, looking just as surprised.

Tenten caught on to the act and boldly stepped up to one person in line and held out her own fake mike.

"I'm sorry miss but could you please tell me why there's such a long line in front of this store?"

The middle-aged woman looked at the mike, her eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Well." She started "First of all this isn't a store it's a restaurant called Modo."

"Modo?" asked the brunette

The lady continued "Yes. It's one of the legendary restaurants of this town. Modo specializes in King Dumplings with various fillings. They are one of the best selling restaurants in Japan. Or so I'm told" she chuckled lightly.

Tenten nodded very professionally.

"I see. Is it any good?"

"It is. There's a huge line here every day."

"Hmm" though Tenten. "You seem to know so much about it. Are you a resident of the town?"

The woman put up her hands and shook her head. Her eyes crinkled in laughter.

"No. I'm just visiting as a culinary arts student. But I do wish I lived here."

"Oops" said Tenten, grinning sheepishly.

Sakura appeared from the side and folded her hands in her lap. She raised one to her grim looking face and held a mike to her lips.

"And this is what happens when you ask random people about king dumpling houses on top of random mountains. This has been Epic Disasters Live. Now moving to our corresponder 2 feet away. Hinata, what would you like to tell us about what we should do next?"

Tenten thanked the woman and she turned back the line. Hinata, who had been caught off guard by the strange question coughed once and recovered. She held up her own mike.

"Thanks Sakura" she said, her grim face mirroring the pinkettes. "Through intense research I believe that the possibilities of having to wait in this line for the next 30 minutes is about 99.9999999999999999999999999999%."

"That seems to be right Hinata. Now returning to our corresponder, live at the scene. Tenten, have you got anything?"

Tenten grinned and walked over to the guys who were staring skeptically at them.

"Well, Sakura. I'm here today with Hyuuga Neji, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, and Subaku no Gaara." She directed her mike to Neji's face. "Sir, do you think it's right to wait in line for 30 minutes for the legendary King Dumplings of Modo?" Tenten raised one eyebrow to give her expression the questioning look.

Neji had the same reaction as the woman. He looked down at the mike he couldn't see and leaned forwards to answer.

"Thanks for having me Tenten-san." He started. "See, Tenten-san, I haven't eaten anything but 2 lemon poppy seed muffins for the past 8 hours because someone dressed me up as Gandalf. I wouldn't mind taking up on one of those dumplings."

Tenten nodded once and moved on.

"Uchiha-san" she addressed "What is your current opinion?"

Sasuke spoke immediately.

"Well Tenten-san. It depends on the circumstances. It would be great to have a dumpling since we've walked all this way but if there's an annoying idiot blonde in the line at the same time that might diminish my appetite."

"I see Uchiha-san. That must be a very hard decision for you to make." She said sympathetically. "Uzumaki-san. Are you up to a king dumpling?"

Naruto's whole face lit up.

"Hell-" he stopped short in his tracks. "Eckhem, I mean heck yes Tenten-san. I'd love to but I'm afraid a certain duck-like friend of mine does not wish to. Still, I think wait is worth it."

Tenten said nothing, just grinned and moved on.

"Nara-san? Uh, Nara-san?" Tenten frowned at the dozing boy in front of her. She turned back to Sakura, a worried look on her face.

"I'm sorry Sakura. I'm afraid that one of our speakers is unable to provide us with an opinion right this minute."

"No worries Tenten." Said Sakura, sounding truly sincere.

Tenten went back to the group and turned to Gaara.

"Subaku no-san" she said, almost tripping over the strange last name. "You are our final speaker. What do you have to say."

"I'm extremely hungry right now and wouldn't mid waiting. It think the possibility of Naruto stuffing his face with dumpling stuffing is really high."

"Thank you Hyuuga-san, Uchiha-san, Uzumaki-san, Nara-san, and Subaku no-san." The brunette nodded once and turned to Sakura and the other girls. "There you have it Sakura. We have almost five out of five people."

Sakura resumed her position.

"Thanks Tenten. Hinata" she said turning to the Hyuuga heiress. "Your hypothesis seems to be correct. Great job"

Hinata offered a shy smile.

"Thanks Sakura. I did try my best."

"Of course. That's the thick of it." She said to the fake audience.

"I'm Haruno Sakura"

"I'm Yamanaka Ino"

"I'm Matsuri"

"I'm Hyuuga Hinata"

"And I'm Tenten."

"Thank you for watching: Epic Disasters. Good night" they all said at the same time, bowing in the Japanese fashion.

They straightened to the small smattering of the people who had been watching in line. Hinata flushed a deep red from the applause.

"Thos people were actually watching us?" asked Ino.

"Damn, they must be bored" said Matsuri.

"I-I think some of them took videos" stuttered Hinata.

Sakura peered at the line.

"No they didn't" she said, her voice incredulous.

"That's what people do when they get bored." Said Neji.

"How would you know, Hyuuga?" questioned Tenten.

"It's what happened when you're loaded and alone" he answered at the same time with Sasuke.

They glared at each other and just like Hinata had predicted, they stepped into line. Matsuri set the timer on her cell and by the time they had gotten to the bamboo styled walls of the outdoor stand that took carry outs the clock read about 28 minutes. Tenten, Neji, Sakura, and Shikamaru ordered one pork bun each; Hinata, Matsuri, and Gaara ordered dumplings with a beef filling; Sasuke and Kiba ordered pork and noodle buns; and Naruto got 3 dumplings with mixed fillings. The workers at front passed them a plastic bag with all the dumplings in a foam container. The group looked around for a place to eat but found nothing. They were wandering into a random alley near the very edge of the town when it was about 6:00.

"Hey!" said Tenten.

She pointed out that the alley had ended to reveal a large expanse. It was a huge grassy lawn that rose up in a semi large hill. The brunette who was in the lead ran up the hill and threw her arms up.

"HELLO!" she yelled.

Naruto, Sakura, and Matsuri ran up next to her, throwing their arms up to connect with hers. Sakura turned back and nodded at he others to come with them. Ino had no trouble being persuaded and Hinata shyly raised her arms as well but the other three guys didn't budge. Ino nudged Hinata and after a quick rendition of the Teary Eyes No Jutsu the rest of the guys joined the group. They stood there, hands up in the air, looking over the tiny town that expanded before them. The late light of the sunset washed over them as they let down their tired arms and lay in the grass. Naruto was at one end with Sasuke and Hinata on either side of him. Ino lay next to Shikamaru, who had Matsuri next to him. Gaara was next to Matsuri and then there was Tenten and Neji at the end of the line. All they could hear was the gentle wind that was blowing and the occasional contented sigh. Minutes passed and Neji found himself looking to the left. Tenten's eyes were slightly open and they glistened. Amber and red bits flickered in the chocolate brown that surrounded her irises. Her mouth was slightly open and she took frequent sips of air, her chest falling and rising in a steady rhythm. Neji snapped out of his daze and found himself wondering why he liked those eyes so much. He just didn't know but there had to have been a reason. Right? It's not like he liked her in any imaginable way or form. He'd known her for less than half a year. He turned his own pale eyes back to the sunset. He'd only seen such a light once before in his life. It had only been recently since he had regained the freedom he was entitled to. Once he hit high school Hiashi let him go out for extra curricular activities and band practice. Neji knew his uncle disapproved of the band but it had several children of large companies. Neji grimaced when he though of his friends that way. Pawns his uncle would use sooner or later to push Neji to the front. Then Neji was the puppet who couldn't be freed from his strings. He could only flail around on the limber lines, bending the rules of a caged bird. He ignored the nagging in his head and his pale eyes clouded over as he just remembered the similar brown eyes of his mother. He was 5 when she had died. His father was murdered when he was 4. Neji was the subject to many pity calls for losing both of his parents in the span of a year. Neji hated them, and his parents too but the one memory he would keep close was the one that hurt the most.

**FLASHBACK**

Neji was about four, jabbering away in little-kid speak and he held his mothers left hand and his fathers right. The tiny child looked up to his mother's warm gaze. She wasn't Hyuuga, like many of the marriages in the clan that had occurred consisted of. She was an orphan whose parents had passed away when she was 17. Hizashi still insisted on marrying her, much to the disappointment of the clan. Even if the two couples had been shunned from the clan they lived a simple life. Neji looked deep into his mother's hazel eyes. They were flecked with gold and red, glowing like coals.

"Okaa-san?" he asked.

Miyune looked down, her long dark hair swaying.

"Hm, Neji?"

Neji's face crinkled in concentration.

"I don't know" he finally said, looking a bit sheepish.

He turned his head at the sound of his father's deep laughter.

"That's my boy" Hizashi said, lifting Neji into his arms.

Neji laughed as his father tickled him, Tears began to form at the corners of his pale eyes as Miyune reached over to take back her son from the reach of his father.

"Careful Hizashi" she teased, flicking him on the forehead.

Hizashi mock bowed to his wife and Miyune set Neji down. They kept walking down the long dirt path that never seemed to end. Then, it suddenly opened to a cliff. Warm orange light hit Neji's eyes and he squinted through his lashes. He saw a fiery sunset expanding before him. The purplish black sky closed in on the light as he ran towards the edge to get a better look.

"Neji!" cried Miyune as she scooped up the child before he went too far. "Don't go too far, okay?"

Neji nodded and wandered off to amble with the fireflies that had started to appear as the sky grew darker. When Hizashi called him back he ran up the little hill. His father and mother were waiting for him, holding hands and smiling a little.

"Let's go home" his father said as Miyune picked him up.

All that Neji remembered next was falling asleep with the last of the sunlight on his face and his mothers comforting hand on his back.

**FLASHBACK END**

Neji grimaced as the memory of what happened just days after came into mind. That one he didn't want to keep. A sharp pain echoed in his head and Neji opened his eyes again. They hit the sunlight just like they had 12 years before. He pulled an arm over his eyes to shield himself and Tenten fully opened one eye at the movement.

"Hm?" she asked, her voice muffled by half sleep.

Neji shook his head and let his arm fall back to the soft grass. He took in the sunset as it faded behind the purplish mountains. It might be awhile before he saw another one ever again. When the sky had grown a dark purple and fireflies started to appear the group struggled up to head back to the hotel. They stayed silent, save a few tired mumbles here and there but Neji made sure to catch a blinking light just before they left.

"Okaa-san, Oto-san" he said, letting the bug go.

**Mm, warm and fuzziness. Nah, I kinda suck and those moments. Not my type of writing. Anyhoo, have you seen the new ending and openings for Shippuden? HAVE YOU? Oh and for those who haven't heard Tenten's getting more screen time! Episode 184 of Shippuden is titled: 'Set out! Team Tenten'. Seriously, it's about time kishi-sensei. REVIEWWWWW IF YOU WANT THE SMASH OFF TO ACTUALLY START!**


	15. The Action

**ZOMFG. My sister just lost her tooth while dancing to Caramelldansen. **

**Thanks to: Katarina Wolffe, InFieryPeace, Dragon Dancer, and lovie345.**

**And the action finally starts. **

**…..**

It was one of those days again. Tenten woke up fuzzy eyed and looked around. She vaguely remembered the orientation and jumped up, covers flying.

"THE ORIENTATION!" she yelled.

Everyone else got up and were changed in the record time of 5 minutes. They ran down to the auditorium, tying hair and buttoning tops at the same time. They slipped through the door just before it closed.

"Why must we always be so late?" groaned Sakura, running a hand through her hair.

"I dunno, you tell me" answered Matsuri.

They all found empty seats in the back. A few rows below them sat AD. To AD's left were the familiar black and red of Akatsuki and Adaleia could be seen several rows down. Kiba was back on stage again and when he caught the girls' eyes he winked.

"Hello everybody!" he announced. "Welcome back to the first day of KMC's Band Smash Off!"

There was actual cheering this time and it took awhile for the dog-loving boy to calm them all down.

"Okay, okay, okay" he said. "Sai is not here today so-"

The doors flew open to reveal Sai in a gray button down and jeans.

"Stop being a liar" he said into a portable megaphone he was carrying.

Kiba gaped at him, much to the laughter of everyone else. The bands turned to get a better look at Sai. He was holding a mini amp to which the megaphone was connected to. Light surrounded his lean figure as walked down the middle aisle.

"See, I always come prepared" he said to the cheers.

Kiba frowned but allowed him up to the stage. Sai set down the amp and straightened.

"Kiba here is going to explain about the contest system while I stand here."

Kiba smiled and took back his position.

"Right, so all of the bands will be performing on an outside stage we've got somewhere. You'll be required to do both of the songs. Keep in mind that it won't just be the judges there. We will allow fans, tourists, and civilians to view your performance. So don't freak once you get there. You'll all be mailed a number to your hotel door and that's the number you'll be playing at. No trading because we've already got a list pulled up."

Kiba finished talking and waved at Sai's megaphone.

"You need to report to the stage area by 5 tonight. Hand in your number to the people at the desk and go wait for your turn. We'll have buses loading and shipping instruments starting at 3" said Sai.

"Good luck, any questions?" returned Kiba.

A couple of hands waved in the air and Sai motioned to one of them. A girl with platinum turquoise hair in two pigtails stood up and pointed herself.

"Me?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

On either side of here were her band mates. A blue haired guy, an older brown haired girl and two blonde twins that looked younger than any of them.

"Yes, you." Said Sai.

The girl chuckled nervously.

"Ano, the scoring system. How will that go?"

Kiba put a hand to his chin and everyone could hear Naruto yell

"GANDALF THE WHITE!"

Several bands threw glares in his direction but with Hyuuga and Uchiha glares on either side, they muttered some stuff and turned away. Kiba continued after some thought.

"I dunno. I think it's on originality, instrument quality, teamwork, voice quality and some other stuff."

The girl shrugged and sat down. After that several other bands asked stupid questions about what time they had to go or if there was going to be food there. Kiba blew off all of the unimportant ones and answered the reasonable.

"You'll have time to prepare there but practice here before you leave." He said. "Anymore?"

No other hands went up and Sai dismissed them all. Ignorant Bliss met up with Apocalyptic Death outside the large double doors.

"You ready?" Tenten asked.

"Hn." Answered Neji.

The brunette shrugged and grinned.

"We've got practice to do" said Sakura, taking hold of Tenten. "What about you?"

"We should get some in too" answered Gaara.

"Don't work yourselves too hard" said Matsuri.

The guys said good-bye and went to their assigned practice room. The girls branched off to theirs and started a 3-hour run through. All they had for lunch was some takeout Chinese and they went right back to practice. Tenten kept pulling at her hair whenever she messed up and Hinata stumbled over the keys as the time to go drew near. Sakura, Ino, and Matsuri kept looking at each other for confirmation. They kept loosing place and had to start over again. After a particularly bad run Tenten set down her sticks.

"Let's take a break" she demanded, sticking a stray fry into her mouth.

"But-" protested Ino.

"No" cut in Sakura "She's right. We should rest up before the smash off."

"Right" said Matsuri in a cheery voice.

They sat around for about an hour or so, listening to music, eating leftovers and talking. Even if they were nowhere near their instruments everyone to tell that they were all dying to get back to their instruments. Tenten kept gripping her hands as if her sticks were still there and Hinata's fingers played to invisible music. The guitarists ran their hands through strings and paused, frowning if they thought they hit the wrong invisible string.

"This is crazy" said Matsuri, throwing her hands up in the air.

"We can't stop playing…." murmured Hinata.

No one moved but they didn't stop air playing either.

"We've got to do something about it. We'll probably get nervous and screw up" said Tenten.

"I know" replied Sakura.

Tenten stood up and stretched.

"Let's go over to the guys."

No one argued so they walked down the hall, reading the cards for AD. Finally Matsuri found the room and they knocked on the door. AD was playing a fast song so they didn't hear the tentative knock. The girls couldn't here the lyrics but the melody was a pretty great one. Not bothering to knock again Ino pulled open the door and entered. The guys immediately stopped playing when they entered.

"Why'd you stop?" asked Hinata.

"It's a secret" said Naruto.

"Why'd you come?" drawled Shikamaru from his place at the keyboard.

"We got bored" said Sakura

"We couldn't stop playing" said Tenten at the same time.

The words mixed and the sentence came out weird.

"You what?" said Neji.

"We couldn't stop playing and got bored." Said Ino.

"Hn" went Sasuke.

Tenten took a good look at their hands and they too were fingering and air playing.

"See?" she said, pointing triumphantly.

"You can't stop either" said Matsuri who had noticed as well.

The guys all dropped their instruments but after a second or two went right back to air playing.

"Stoppit dammit" muttered Naruto to his hands.

They kept moving and in an attempt to stop them Gaara stuck his own hands in his pockets. The rest of the guys but Naruto and Shikamaru put them in their pockets as well. Shikamaru's went behind his head while Naruto sat on his.

"Ah" said Sasuke.

"Now what?" shot back Sakura.

"We need something to do" said Shikamaru.

"And I know what" said Neji.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" they asked.

Smirking, he pulled out a pack of clear cards from his back pocket.

"Poker"

For the next hour they gambled a little real money and a lot of fake money once they had run out of change. Neji, Gaara, and surprisingly Hinata were the top players. Matsuri, Sasuke, and Tenten followed quickly behind. Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, and Naruto hadn't played Poker that much or just didn't care. In a huge spontaneous moment of glory Naruto bet in all and ended up owing Sasuke 204 dollars and Tenten 242 (I'm using US currency because it's easier for reference). Neji had won about a thousand with Hinata at a thousand as well.

"You were always good at gambling" murmured Neji as he looked over his cards.

"You too, nii-san. You were the one who taught me." Hinata replied.

"Was I?" asked Neji.

"You idiot" muttered Tenten. "You taught her too well."

"That's what you get" said Sasuke, shuffling through his cards.

"Fold" cut in Shikamaru.

"Fold" followed Matsuri.

Tenten surveyed her cards. She had 2 6's a king a jack and a 10. The dealer, Gaara, started putting out cards. The first in the line was a 3. He looked up to 'check' everyone and then continued. The next two were a 6 and a 5. Tenten smothered her grin and said check. The next card was an ace and Gaara paused for the final.

"Hurry up!" said Naruto, bouncing in his anticipation.

Gaara set down the last card with ninja speed and it revealed a…7.

"Awwww" said Naruto, slamming down his cards in a fan.

A 2, a 5, and a 9.

"You were just bluffing weren't you?" asked Sasuke

Naruto stuck his tongue out.

"Anything anyone?" asked Gaara

Tenten was the first to set down her cards.

"Threesome" she announced lining up her 6s with the other.

"Nice" said Neji.

Tenten smiled and waited for the others. Sakura had a 4 pair, Ino had a threesome of 2s and Neji had a threesome of aces. Tenten gulped at the row of As. Damn, he was good. Then Sasuke set his down.

"Royal Flush" he smirked.

He did indeed have a jack, queen, king, _. Neji cursed at him and fell over.

"Hey guys, its almost 3:30" said Matsuri, glancing down at her clock. With a sigh Neji reclaimed his cards and stood up.

"See you at the stage, then?" asked Sasuke.

"Ya" drawled Tenten, yawning.

The girls went back to their room to get ready. They'd get into their concert wear and then pack up later. All five girls wore the IB tees they had gotten and the same Lolita gothic attire they had worn at the dinner. Tenten kept her hair in their two buns and wore dark skinny jeans while Sakura had on jean capris with rough cuts and her hair in a low ponytail. Hinata wore lighter straight-line jeans with her hair clipped back and a long black jacket over it all. Ino was in shorts with her hair in its usual style and Matsuri wore washouts with her hair in two ponytails that resembled Tsunade's. They all trooped down to the band room, packed up their stuff (this time the girls helped Tenten) and loaded themselves onto the tiny bus. It was a 20-minute ride to the open stage. It was set in a huge grass field and was blinking lights already. Tech people were going around, checking on the lighting and sounds. Random bursts of music kept popping up and Naruto dropped to the floor. He rolled from sided to side, rocking back and forth. His arms were nearly glued to his side so his body formed a straight line.

"Uh, what the hell are you doing?" asked Neji.

Naruto glanced up.

"The Retarded Worm" replied Naruto, continuing to rock.

When the next burst of song came on Sasuke started doing a complicated breakdance routine that Gaara and Neji followed in. The music didn't stop this time. Shikamaru blinked unsteadily.

"Nah" he said.

Once the music finally stopped everyone got their instruments backstage. It was a large room and a lot of the bands were there. Sakura pulled out the number 21 that had been stuck to their door and handed it to one of the women at the door.

"Thanks. You can go set up over there and someone will come over to help you"

The girls dragged their instruments over to a tiny space and started unpacking. Sakura, Ino, and Matsuri retuned their guitars but Tenten and Hinata had no clue what to do until someone came and told them. An older man wheeled over two low platforms.

"Here" he instructed. "Set up your instruments on these. You" he pointed to Tenten. "Might need to play on the platform so I'll get a bigger one. You" he looked at Hinata and then the size of her Yamaha. "I think you'll be fine."

The two girls said their thank yous and started arranging. Tenten finally got all of her drums into place and found enough space for her to climb on. Hinata struggled a bit with the heavy keyboard but managed well enough.

"I am a moving" sang Tenten as Ino pushed her around.

The brunette started playing a random bit of song and Ino started doing some other bass to it. Once they had circulated the entire room and made it back to their band it was about time to start.

"What number?" asked Matsuri.

The guys had followed Tenten and Ino on their rounds and were now next to the girls. Sasuke looked down at the paper.

"19" he said.

"Oh, we're 21" said Sakura.

Neji shrugged.

"We're close enough anyway" he looked over to Akatsuki. "What number do you think they are?" he asked.

"I'm not asking" scoffed Sasuke, looking away.

"Then I am" said Tenten, throwing a glare at the Uchiha.

The brunette walked boldly up to the band and plucked at Deidara's shirtsleeve.

"Yo, Dei-nii" she said, smiling.

"Hey Tenten" he replied.

The girl awkwardly waved to the rest of the band and got some waves, smirks, smiles, and in Tobi's case: "Hi Tenten!" back.

"So, what number did you get?" she asked.

Deidara turned to Sasori.

"Saso-dana, what number were we?"

The young redhead glared.

"Don't call me Saso. I dunno. I think Pein still has the number"

They both turned to Pein and he solemnly looked up.

"We're 15" he replied.

Tenten shrugged.

"We're 21."

She started to walk away but waved a good bye.

"Good luck" she called.

When she got back she told then what number Akatsuki was. Soon after, Gaara came back.

"Adaleia's competing as number 8" he said.

The girls looked behind him to see Temari winking at them. Tenten smiled and was the first to turn back.

"Whoa," said Naruto "They're going early"

"Yeah" replied Gaara. "Temari was pissed off to no end."

"Hn" said Neji.

It was about 6:15 when they could all hear the crowd outside. Most of the other bands started to go outside to join them. The first 10 competitors were held back through. IB and AD snuck out side and the first thing Matsuri got hit by was…a noodle. No, not like ramen but one of those tube noodles. Her pale face had been imprinted by a long streak of red.

"Who is handing all of those out?" muttered Ino.

Tenten dive rolled for a stray one that had been abandoned. The others went noodle hunting and eventually found their own. The first thing Matsuri did was whack the person who had hit her. Then they all ran away to the very middle of the crowd. It was only then that they took in their surroundings. The crowd was huge. People filled up every single spot of spare grass there was. Most also had noodles. Then the stage light dimmed and all that lit the area was the dying sunlight. Kiba and Sai padded back on stage again. This time they were in band attire as well.

"WELCOME TO THE FIRST ROUND OF THE FIRST KMC BAND SMASH OFF EVAAAAAAAAR!" they both yelled into the large megaphone in their hands.

Tenten's bangs flew back from the impact of the sound waves and she could see the same blown back expressions on the others' faces. Sai coughed one more time before returning a normal voice.

"Yes, well, we'll be starting shortly. If any of the bands who are competing are out there then I'll remind you that you'll have to be onstage 3 bands before you play."

Kiba spoke up from there to the crowd.

"As for audience members please be quiet when the bands are receiving their scores or else we'll have one of our nice security members escort you out."

Heads swiveled in random directions, searching for the hidden members.

"Anyhoo" continued Sai "We are proud to present, our judges!"

There was some polite, if not wary clapping, as three figures walked out to the stage. One of them was a tall dark skinned man with crazy tattoos all over his body.

"Whoa, man" said Naruto. "That is just hacking awesome."

The tattoo man was introduced as Killer Bee from the Lightning area. He was a professional rapper who had created his own style over time: Enka rapping.

"What the hell is Enka rapping?" asked Sakura

"What the hell is Enka?" asked Ino.

The next judge was a young girl that wasn't much older than they were. Her short turquoise hair shone as they reflected off of red eyes. She was _, a mixer who usually did trance music or back music. She turned out to be from the _district. The final judge was _. He was a tall thin man with lanky black hair. He played a whole different set of guitars, sung, and left the rest to the tech. He was also known as 'The Bubbles Guy'. (Yeah I had to make all of the judges Jinchiruuki. You know Killer Bee. The girl with the turquoise hair is _ tails in the picture of all the containers. The final judge is just known to me as Bubbles Guy. He's the one blowing bubbles in the pic. 4 tails, I think) After that, the judges sat and made themselves comfy as Kiba and Sai announced the first group.

"Band numba One" cried Kiba.

"Vocaloid!" finished Sai.

The girl with the turquoise hair from before walked up on stage with the rest of her band. They all stood in one line.

"Hi, we're Vocaloid" she started.

"The first song we'll be playing is Hajimete no Koi ga Owaru Toki" started the blue haired guy.

"And the second is Heavenly Blue" added the twins, simultaneously.

Tenten noticed that the band had no instruments on the stage besides the keyboards in front of them. They were all lit and personally colored.

"Cool" said Matsuri.

They all got into position and there was an uncomfortable silence. Then the turquoise haired girl in the middle and the girl of the twins started singing. They hadn't even looked at each other but the rest of the band started playing on the keys as well. It was impossible to tell which member played what. It was all a perfect coordination of instruments. When they had finished they all linked hands and bowed. There was a huge wave of applause and Vocaloid ambled off the stage.

"Thank you!" Said Sai.

The band went down to stand in front of the table at which the judges sat. They were obviously nervous. After a quick decision Kiba walked form the judges' table to the stage.

"Vocaloid!" he started. "The judges have placed you with a 26 out of 30!"

There was polite clapping and the band merged with the crowd again.

"Out of thirty…" said Sasuke

"Huh" commented Neji.

The rest of the group nodded in perfect rhythm. They only stopped when Kiba announced the next band. Number two was a 4-man band called 'Attack of Pineapples'. They received a dead 15 and walked off the stage, cursing out loud. Number 3 had 2 people in it. A simple guitar and keyboard mix that received a pretty good 22. 5 bands later Adaleia came on stage. Temari was dressed in another kimono like top and jeans. It was black and she wore fishnets under it. Kankuro and Daisuke were wearing the standard tee-over-jeans-and pwnsome shoes that most male band members seemed to dress in. Temari quickly introduced the band and got straight to playing. The first song was extremely quick which included Temari singing and Dai coming in for the duet. The last song was slow and Temari sang acapella for most of it. They got a 25. Bands kept going and coming, some getting good scores others failing miserably. Finally the large group of Akatsuki filed onto the stage. The mood of the crowd changed immediately. They grew a little quieter and some of the people were looking around nervously. Akatsuki all wore black hoodies with red lining. Red, white, and black clouds dotted the fabric as it went down to mid thigh.

'_This is the effect Akatsuki can have on people'_ thought Tenten as she looked to the guys.

Sasuke had an intense look in his eyes. So did Neji and the rest. It looked as if they were preparing for some on coming fight. Tenten turned back to Akatsuki. They didn't introduce themselves but when Kazuku and Tobi started playing Tenten knew why. They started playing a heavy rhythm on their electrics while Kisame and Pein did a set of bass. Pein did a slow melody while Kisame skipped lines to fill in the empty spaces. The high clear sound of Zetsu's violin pierced the air. Tenten could practically feel her hair blow back. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see the girls. Their eyes were wide in near terror and fascination. She looked to side to see the guys still bracing themselves. This was what they had been expecting. Deidara played a fuzzy sort of creepy melodic sound from his keys and Sasori came in soon after. The crowd was stunned into silence. Konan was the last to come in and she started off on a high note. Her voice was like Zetsu's violin. It was clear, sharp but no one could tell what she was saying. She took on a softer tone and her voice ranged in the strange melody that the band had created. There was a short instrument interval and then she started again. The song seemed to come to a close when it suddenly changed and pulled into a slower beat. Akatsuki had melded their two songs together. The heavy metal like beat of the electrics joined the bass in the soft but crazy frenzy. Konan's voice was light and at one point she seemed to be screaming in one pitch. When the band had finished there was no sound for about 10 seconds. Then there were eardrum-blasting cheers. They wouldn't stop until Kiba walked up with the judge's result. He opened the paper and gulped. Glancing over at the members of Akatsuki he read aloud the score.

"Akatsuki, you have received the score of…29"

Sakura whistled lightly.

"Damn. That's a near perfect and no one ever gives a perfect."

"I know" replied Hinata.

"This is crazy" whispered Tenten.

They all looked to the guys. They were in silence until Naruto smiled a little and started clapping lightly.

"Just as one would expect from Akatsuki" he said, grinning.

Everyone else but Sasuke and Neji joined in the clapping. Even if Akatsuki was supposedly the bad guys they did deserve the applause.

"I never though they'd be this good" mused Tenten.

"They've gotten better since last time" murmured Sasuke.

Shikamaru nodded.

"The force thing has gotten a lot stronger" he said.

"That is just plain creepy" muttered Sakura shooting a glance at them.

The girls nodded in agreement. Normal people didn't do things like this. They just didn't. After a moment Apocalyptic Death excused themselves and went on stage. Tenten hardly noticed the other bands until AD swept onstage. They were looking as grim as ever but a competitive aura could be felt around them.

"Apocalyptic Death" started Sasuke

"We're playing 'The Point of The World" went Neji

"and It's a Small World" finished Gaara.

Sakura raised a brow at the other girls. This is what the guys had been keeping a secret from them. Sasuke and Gaara began first playing a nice rhythm. Naruto and Shikamaru followed soon after with Sasuke at their tails. A couple seconds later Neji started the first part of the song that he would sing with Sasuke.

It's boring

It's dreary

Life is so freakin weary

All we do is cry

Neji's smooth voice echoed to the claps and whoops that had started with the song. Unlike Akatsuki, AD had a different affect on the people in the crowd

We all slack

And talk back

Just to fill in the spaces

Of empty sky

Got freedom

On our lines

To keep us

Skipping time

Until the end

The end is dry

Sasuke came in to sing the chorus with Neji and their voices got even louder

The world out there

Is another broken heart

Another wasted life

Another torn apart

They say freedom is free

Is that really all we've got

And we still won't know why

Until we try

Out the world

Neji dropped out and let Sasuke take over

It's the fight back

Through that crack

In the window

That shows us

All our pain

The blood that

Tattoos all the

Landscapes

It's all to blame

The night sky

Above us

It doesn't

Care at all

Let the moon wane

It's all our gain

Or is it?

There was a slight pause after the line. When they all came back in one note they all jumped in a spontaneous moment of euphoria. Well, all except Naruto who threw his drumsticks and was just able to catch them.

The world out there

Is another broken heart

Another wasted life

Another torn apart

They say freedom is free

Is that really all we've got

And we still won't know why

Until we try

Out the world

There was a short line of instruments that slipped into a repetitive line of bass, electric, and drum.

Watch time slip by

Side by side

Your hand and mine

Feel the light

Hit your eyes

Your eyes to mine

Hear me say

My life to yours

Your soul with mine

And out to the world

The world is mine

But

Another pause but no other instruments but Gaara's base and Shika's keys returned. Neji and Sasuke gripped their mikes.

The world out there

Is another broken heart

Another wasted life

Another torn apart

They say freedom is free

Is that really all we've got

And we still won't know why

We wont know why but

All the instruments came in and they all sang, no matter who was tone deaf.

The world out there

Is another broken heart

Another wasted life

Another torn apart

They say freedom is free

Is that really all we've got

And we still wont know why

Until we try

Out the world

Out the world

Your world to mine

The world

The world is mine

They finished in one drawn note from the guitars. The crowd exploded and Tenten found herself clapping with the others. It really was a good song. After they played their second song Sai came up with a raised brow.

"You've got a 27" he announced, looking as if he didn't expect the guys to get anything past a 15.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the pale teen as he left the stage, greeted by smacks and several fist bumps. Ignorant Bliss went backstage to prepare themselves for their turn. Their instruments were still in place and they were about to go out when Ino's eyes lit up. She yanked them all together and after a few delayed whispers, punches, and smacks they managed to put their other infamous plan into action.

**MEANWHILE**

AD had gone back and melded with the crowd. They were all jumpy and sweating form the experience up stage. Neji wiped away a few beads of sweat. The band hadn't been on a stage like that before. They'd never played in public, really. Just for classes and the like. The male Hyuuga knew that the next band was supposed to be IB but they didn't come out. He could see Kiba nervously twirling his mike in one hand. Then there was a soft ringing of bass. Everyone murmured, looking around for the source of the noise. Then the guys could see the very edges of a person at the far side of the stage. When the whole procession came into full view there was a loud cheer. Tenten and Hinata had stayed on their platforms and the other three were wheeling them in by their feet while playing. About halfway there Tenten started singing.

In a new world

Full of darkness

Hanging over

The edge of a mirror

Hinata came in and joined her in a harmony

Like the water

You see below you

The wind blows through it

You feel locked freedom

Tenten dropped out to let in Sakura. The pinkette sang the melody while Hinata changed to the harmony. Ino was fingering rapidly on her bass and Matsuri was strumming hard.

The megaphone in my hands

Mean nothing (to you)

Do you understand

The silence

The nightmare

The beauty

The bass and keyboard let a long note drag out into silence. Then they all came in singing in a carefully coordinated series of melodies, harmonies, and random notes that complimented the song.

Because I'm one of those not heard

Shouting out to the dark

So loud that it hurts

That close to blacking out

And those not heard

Disappear to the silence

Like tears to the wind

Like rain to the sky

Like hearts to the break

Those not heard

There was a music interval and then Ino and Matsuri started

The headphones over my ears

Play a song

Only I can hear

And the plink of the keys

Fade to nothing

And the way that they laugh

Shatters glass

Tenten came in again with Matsuri in harmony and Sakura, Ino and Hinata as background vocals.

The full blooming roses

That lay all around

Just answer to silence.

Because I'm one of those not heard

Shouting out to the dark

So loud that it hurts

That close to blacking out

And those not heard

Disappear to the silence

Like tears to the wind

Like rain to the sky

Like hearts to the break

All of the girls came in as one voice.

Those not heard

Are the ones in the shadows

The ones in the rain

That wait everyday till the

Sun greets them again

The ones with broken lights and guitars

Broken hearts that fly far

On the glass heart of morning

Light that shines through the pieces

Of never ending

Another music interval and then there was a complicated ring of voices coming in and out as they sang the final verse.

But those not heard

Wake to the brightness

And those not heard

Feel something about them

And as they sing

The world has to hear them

Cause those not heard

Have lived in the silence

The breakthrough out

Is as hard as that mirror

In the water about

That pool full of darkness

And it's a new world

For those

That are heard

Tenten flicked her bangs and looked over to the girls. They were glowing and she struggled not to shield herself form the bright glow. Even Hinata was standing straighter and bright laughter escaped her lips. Tenten's eyes softened around the corners and she wondered if she looked like that when she was truly happy. The laughter spread and before long the entire band was leaning on each other. They played their final song and broke down into even more laughter. Kiba chuckled as he brought out the piece of paper.

"Good job ladies" he said "You have received a score of 26"

Tenten and the girls tried to keep their joy under control but the minute they were away from the view of the people Tenten grabbed Sakura.

"OH MY FUCKING SHIT CHICKEN!" she yelled, shaking her back and forth.

Ino pried the brunette away from Sakura and hugged Hinata.

"OH MY FUCKING SHIT MUFFIN!" yelled Matsuri as she shook Tenten.

Tenten then experience the feeling of getting her head knocked off. She fell to the ground and was helped up by Hinata. By the time they made it back to the grounds and AD the 22nd band was already playing.

"You guys did great!" said Ino.

"Yeah! You didn't do as bad as Sai expected Ice Bitch!" crowed Tenten.

Neji frowned and batted at her. Tenten fell back and avoided his hand.

"Ah, Ah, Ah!" she said, waving a finger in the air. "Its not polite!"

"And its not polite to point either" said Sasuke.

Sakura, who had been annoying Gaara with Matsuri came over.

"It's not nice to be a Duck ass like you either Duck Ass"

Sasuke smirked and turned away.

"Nah, that's who I am"

Then he got knocked over by Tenten, who had proceeded to tackle him and Neji. The two stoic teens fell over by the impact of the surprisingly strong wave that was Tenten.

"That's your problem" she said in time with the other girls.

The guys got off the ground and brushed themselves off. Around the 30th band some idiot knocked over a keg of beer and it exploded, showering everyone in a 5-foot radius with alcohol.

"SLIDE!" yelled Ino as she slid on the slippery grass.

Soon enough the center of the large field had become sort of a dance floor/slippery slide. People were slipping into each other and more and more cans of liquids were added, expanding the ring of fun. Tenten had a certain burst of inspiration and she grabbed Hinata's hand. The Hyuuga heiress sputtered as she was dragged several feet away from the wide rink.

"W-what?" she asked in her confusion.

Tenten ignored her protests and continued to drag her.

"OUT OF OUR WAY!" she yelled as she suddenly turned around.

The people were eager to clear out as Tenten started running at breakneck speed. Years of training helped her drag Hinata along with her. A few feet before her shoes hit the slippery grass she swung Hinata ahead of her. The blue haired girl shot into the air and slid about 10 feet, disappearing into the crowd on the other side. Tenten herself went faster and jumped. There was a moment where she defied all gravity and hung in the air, a few feet above the other people around her. Her hands were up and she had her legs tucked behind her. As she came down she unfurled her legs and she slid even further, plowing people out of the way. At one point she passed Hinata, who was soaking and being helped up by Naruto. The brunette grinned as she kept going. It was hard to keep her balance and she toppled. Someone was there to meet her. Neji pulled her up.

"How are you doing panda?" he asked in a pleasant voice "I wasn't sure it was like you to slide for about 15 feet in alcohol."

Tenten laughed and allowed herself to be pulled up.

"WHOOP DE FUCKIN DOOOOOOOOO"

Tenten whirled and saw two people making their way to her. They too slid crazily before falling in a crumpled heap. The brunette leaned over to greet the newcomers.

"Well, well, well" she said, shaking her head. "I never thought of you to be one to do this"

Gaara shook the alcohol from his flaming hair and pulled Matsuri up with him.

"Same to you" he said.

Matsuri was still rolling on the floor laughing when the next pair came. Tenten looked up to see two other people jumping. The unmistakable pink hair flew behind Sakura as Sasuke leapt with her. Tenten took in their form and noticed only one thing. They both looked so happy, a huge smile on Sakura's face while a grin graced Sasuke's. Sakura had linked her arms with his and they were on the way down. Naruto and Hinata popped up behind them.

"HELLLLLLOOOOOO" yelled Naruto, raising one arm to wave at them.

Hinata was blushing like a tomato when a push lowered them back to the earth. Shikamaru had kicked them from behind. Ino was next to him, her

ponytail flying as she extended her legs to descend.

"HELLO TO YOU TOO!" she replied.

Tenten glanced over to the person next to her and a determined look appeared in her eyes.

"Your turn Ice Bitch!" she cried grabbing hold of his hand.

She dragged him back to the front and he caught up with her, the two ran until they could barley see the shine of the grass.

"Ready!" Tenten yelled as she pivoted.

"Hell yeah!" yelled Neji.

The two ran as fast as they ever had. Neji couldn't help but laugh as the wind blew his face back. He felt so free and he wasn't letting go of it anytime soon. They reached the grass and jumped. They had one hand up in the air but they still held on to each other. They fell at an awkward angle and skidded towards the rest of the group. Tenten fell herself falling forwards and she leaped into a dive roll. When she finished the last turn she came face to face with Sasuke. He was on the floor with Sakura sitting on top of him.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"Who me?" replied Sasuke. "Cause, uh, no. I'm not."

Matsuri stepped on his foot.

"That was great!" said Ino, bouncing as she hugged Shikamaru for no apparent reason.

Her hair had become undone. Tenten too shook hers out and turned back to Neji who had gone over to Naruto. The blonde was giggling hysterically while Hinata was trying to talk some sense into him. The male Hyuuga lightly slapped Naruto and he was revived.

"Hm?" he asked, a grin on his face.

Gaara face palmed as they made their way to the back of the crowd. They got something to eat from the stalls there and sat on the non-alcohol infected grass. Shikamaru fell back with a whump and the rest fell like dominoes. Naruto was in the middle of laughing at Sakura, who had landed on a rock and she was hitting him.

"Ahahahahahahahahahaha-ACKSGHIAYHD- ahahahahahaha"

Ino threw the remains of her bun at him and he shut up. The sounds of the final band could still be heard and they listened, chatting only once in a while.

"This is the life" groaned Shikamaru, stretching.

"Mm, yeah" said Tenten, stretching as well.

"We've made it to the second round, right?" asked Hinata, her voice soft.

Sasuke 'hn'ed. "Of course. Look at our scores"

"Hn" went Neji.

Gaara rolled his eyes.

"Have you written a song yet?" he asked.

"Nah" replied Sakura

"You?" said Ino.

Naruto shook his head as he ate.

"Wesh gotsh te srash ob un"

"What?" said Matsuri.

Naruto swallowed and repeated himself.

"We've got the start of one"

There was a chorus of 'oh's and they lapsed back into silence.

"Inner is at work" said Tenten in a slightly mechanical voice.

"That was random" interjected Neji.

More comments came in but the brunette didn't hear them. She was at work. The others laughed and Naruto insisted on poking her with a stick but Sakura whacked him. In the middle of this no one heard Neji speaking to Tenten.

"Good night" he muttered.

**ACK! that was the longest chapter I've typed in a long time. No, really, it was 23 pages. Anyhoo I've got something to ask you guys. It's getting close to Halloween and the story line sort of follows the time right now. Its fall over there so should i do a chapter on Halloween? I'll need to update faster if I want to get it in by the 31 so tell me what you think. REVIEW.**


	16. ARGGGGHHH

20:02

**Ok**

**So I think I'll probably do the Halloween thing so expect updates sooner than usual.**

**Thanks to: SLYFOXtheWICKED, Rubberxduckies12, Katarins Wolffe, MoonKrystal, XAlternativeXMusicXGirlX, Blazing-May (), bright-rebellious, and needmoreYOUTH.**

Later that night the final band played and the MC's reclaimed the stage.

"THANK YOU!" yelled Kiba waving.

"THAT WAS THE END OF ROUND ONE!" followed Sai.

There was more cheering and once it had died down Kiba had appeared with another list.

"This is it" he said, the stage lights dimming.

"The bands who have made it to the second round of KMC's Band Smash off…." Trailed Sai.

"…are…" went Kiba.

Then came the long list of crazy names that included several swear words.

"Adaleia, Why The World Is So F*****G Messed Up" a loud beep replaced Kiba's voice as he continued with the list. "Akatsuki, Go To BEEEEEEP, Apocalyptic Death, Vocaloid, Everheart, Dropping, The BEEEEP To The BEEEEEP Of BEEEEEEP, Ignorant Bliss…."

Hinata choked at the certain name with multiple beeps while Naruto tried to keep her from dying. Many people burst out laughing at the multiple beeps until it was hard to hear Kiba and Sai. When the list ended there was some more clapping. Then Sai called the judges up onto the stage and there was a round of applause for them. They waved and exited to the wings of the stage and the crowd started to disperse.

"The buses" said Sasuke as she got up to search.

The others got up when Gaara noticed the problem. All of the girls were asleep. They guys crowded in front, staring at the sleeping forms.

"What do we do?" asked Sasuke.

"Let's poke them!" said Naruto, looking around for anything he could prod them with, preferably a stick.

Shikamaru whacked him with a foam cup.

"No way. Better not to face their wrath"

"Hell hath no fury like a PMSing woman awakened from her sleep" quoted Neji.

Gaara rolled his eyes.

"Only you would bring literature into this" he muttered.

Neji shrugged.

"It wasn't me" he glanced over to the pineapple head that was contemplating the situation right now. "It was Nara"

Shikamaru look up and shrugged.

"That's my mom. And I think Ino's taking after her"

They stood around for a few more minutes before Shikamaru knelt.

"This is the only other option" he said lazily swinging Ino over his shoulder.

For a lazy ass, he was pretty strong. Doubting looks crossed the others' faces but Shikamaru shrugged at them.

"If you want to stay here until they wake up then, fine"

He ambled away, leaving the others to the remaining girls. Naruto and Gaara were the first to break. Naruto shifted Hinata into bridal style and walked off with Gaara who had Matsuri on his back. That left Sasuke and Neji. Shikamaru knew how to deal with Ino's wrath, as did Gaara with Matsuri's but the two girls in front of them were not to be messed with. With a sigh Neji knelt and picked Tenten up. Her head rested on his chest as he secured her into bridal position. Sasuke was reluctant but he did the same.

"Let's hope they don't wake up" Sasuke muttered as he led the way to buses.

**THE NEXT MORNING**

Tenten opened her eyes to see the ceiling of the hotel room. She propped herself up on one arm and looked around. It was similar but different to the girls', save the fact that the guys were still asleep in the several chairs around them. Tenten bit back a curse when the door to the bathroom opened. She jumped out of the bed, still in her band attire and nearly stepping on Gaara's face. Neji came out dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. He had a towel draped around his neck and his hair was still in perfect condition. They were the only two awake and the stood, staring at each other.

"Uh, why the hell am I in your room?" asked Tenten.

Neji shrugged and relayed the events of last night to her.

"See, you and the girls fell asleep at the fields so we had to carry you back but we couldn't find your keys so you ended up sleeping here"

Tenten wrinkled her nose.

"I thought Ino had them"

Neji shrugged.

"No one bothered to look anywhere besides the purses."

Tenten understood and she stretched, her eyes blazing. She picked her way through the bodies until she was next to Neji.

"I'm gonna take a shower" she said, going into the bathroom.

Neji shrugged as he sat in a chair. No one else had awakened yet and it was silent. Then he heard the sound of water coming on. After a few bumps the door opened and Tenten stuck her head out the door.

"Damn Neji!" she whispered yelled. "Too many hair products man!"

Neji glared. It wasn't that much.

"Can I use them?" she said, her voice eager.

The Hyuuga blinked at her but nodded. The door clicked shut and he could hear quiet humming. Tenten's voice ranged in a random melody and it sounded pretty in the early morning. Neji turned when he heard someone shift. Shikamaru had risen, his eyes still blurry from the sleep. Neji nodded as the lazy boy looked around in sleepy confusion, then dropped off to sleep again. Several minutes later Gaara, Hinata, and Sasuke woke leaving Ino, Sakura, Matsuri, and Naruto asleep. Sasuke stumbled up and walked towards the bathroom. Neji, who was muttering with Gaara, caught the sight of the Uchiha out of the corner of his eye.

"He-"

Sasuke opened the door…only to be met by a bar of hotel soap.

"PERVERT!" screeched the brunette inside.

Ino, Sakura, Matsuri, and Naruto at bolted up at the exact same moment.

"Who?" asked Sakura, fully awake.

"Who's the perv?" said Matsuri, looking around wildly.

Naruto looked at the bar of soap that had landed next to him. The bathroom door slammed shut, leaving a trail of steam in its wake.

"Did you see anything?" said Gaara in a skeptical voice, knowing she would be pissed if the Uchiha had, not to mention the bloodiness afterwards.

Sasuke silently turned around.

"No." he said. "I got blinded"

A white mark had imprinted itself dead center of his forehead. Naruto laughed as he picked up the soap.

"I believe this belongs to you" he said, handing it to his friend and clasping his hand warmly.

Sasuke batted at him while Sakura got out of bed. She went over with a tissue and gently wiped the soap off his head.

"I think you might have a bruise" she mused as she got another tissue.

Ino too got up with Matsuri. She rummaged through her purse and came up with a small tube.

"Care for some concealer?" she asked, uncapping the lid with a malicious grin.

Sasuke backed away but let Sakura follow him as she cleaned up.

"Tenten's always had that reaction" Hinata commented.

"It's a good thing that it was him not me" snorted Neji.

Naruto grinned brightly.

"But I bet you were hoping it's be you!" he crowed.

Neji glared and Naruto shut up.

"It's not as bad as those books you read." He retorted.

"There not mine!" wailed Naruto. "They're Kakashi-sensei's!"

Sakura raised a brow.

"It thought they were Jiraiya's"

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Nah, He's the author"

"ACK!"

Everyone turned to the bathroom and heard the person on the other side of the door choke.

"He wrote them?" Tenten called.

"Yeah" replied Gaara.

Tenten opened the door and stepped out.

"No wonder" she said throwing the towel at some random place. It hit Neji square in the face and he passed it on the Ino who hurled it to Naruto who threw it to Gaara who flung it at Shikamaru who picked up and deposited it in Matsuri's lap who kicked to Sakura who punted it to Sasuke who flicked it to Hinata who threw it back to Tenten who aimed it at Neji who threw it back. After the towel sailed out the window and after it landed on the head of a statue they all got dressed and went off to their separate rooms.

Ino stretched as they walked.

"When was the second round again?" she asked.

Matsuri shrugged but Hinata answered in her stead.

"I'm sure its tomorrow."

Sakura jumped about 5 feet into the air.

"How the hell do they expect us to write two songs in that time?" she asked, clearly pissed off.

Tenten chuckled and swept her bangs to the side.

"It's the challenge" she said "And our Inners have got their work cut out for them."

Sakura nodded, and stayed silent.

"…uh huh…yeah…okay…price? What price?...but i don't wanna…fine…hm…"

"What's she doing?" whisper asked Ino.

Tenten blinked.

"She's talking with her Inner. And speaking of Inners"

She turned to look at the others.

"Don't you have them too?"

Matsuri frowned.

"I don't talk with myself" she said, putting her hands up in defeat.

"Inner" corrected Tenten.

Ino too denied that an Inner had ever taken over part of her brain but Hinata stayed silent.

"Hina?" asked Tenten, skeptical look on her face.

It was least likely out of the three of them for Hinata to be the only one with an Inner.

"Yeah" said Hinata blushing. "Her name's Haruka"

Tenten's eyebrow shot up.

"Whoa it has a name?"

Hinata nodded earnestly.

"She says she looks just like me but she likes apple sauce. She talks to me when I…"

She suddenly stopped and turned away.

Sakura continued to mutter to herself while Matsuri leaned in.

"What?" she asked, a malicious grin spreading across her face.

Matsuri came over to Hinata's other side and linked arms with her.

"So Hinata" she said. "What is this secret you're sharing with Haruka?"

Tenten watched the girls interrogate the shy Hyuuga and she couldn't keep a smile from spreading across her face. They kept pestering her and she grew redder and redder. Tenten could see a bajillion emotions sweep her face and knew that Haruka had awoken. Hinata too started muttering with herself and once Tenten thought she was going to blow she opened her mouth.

"!" she blurted.

Silence.

Hinata slapped a hand over her mouth and she blushed even deeper. Hinata had been quite loud but the guys were far away. Far far away. Ino and Matsuri started cackling which snapped Sakura out of her moment.

"What?" she asked.

"Hina like Naruuuuuuuuuuutooooooooooo" sang Tenten.

Sakura jumped up.

"You like that hyperactive blonde of an idiot? You?"

Hinata nodded her hands still over her mouth. Even if she was mortified at the fact that her secret had been let out Tenten could see the relief in her pale eyes.

"Lets see how long it takes him to notice" Matsuri said, rubbing her hands together.

At that Hinata lowered her hands and looked away.

"It's been 8 years." She said sullenly.

Sakura counted off on her fingers.

"…16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8." She finished. "You've liked him since you were 8?"

Hinata nodded and her eyes softened.

"It was when I met him in school. H-he was all by himself and the way he looked at the other kids going home…"

She trailed off as Tenten silently urged her on.

"Yeah?" said Matsuri.

"He looked so sad but happy at the same time" continued Hinata. "Afterwards he smiled so big that I thought he was going to snap. Then he just went home."

Tenten tucked her knees under her.

"It'll happen some day" she said.

Hinata shrugged.

"I hope so. But…."

"…he's a extremely dense person" finished Ino.

Hinata found her self nodding and saying no at the same time.

"Shut up" she whispered to herself.

"Haruka?" asked Sakura.

Hinata nodded.

"Yeah, that's me" she said.

Tenten laughed.

"She's the one who forced you to tell us?"

"That was totally m- it's all her fault"

They all blinked at the sudden change of reference.

"I'm starting to like this person" said Matsuri grabbing for her guitar.

"Same here" said Tenten, standing up.

She went over to her drums set and sat heavily.

"We've still got the song to write" reminded Sakura

"Yes Kaa-san!" they all said in military fashion.

Sakura whacked at them but they all avoided. Hinata finally stuffed Haruka into her designated part of the brain and went to her keyboard.

"Is there anyone you like?" she asked to Matsuri.

Matsuri turned around.

"Hm?"

"You heard her" said Ino, taking a sudden interest in the conversation.

Matsuri shook her head.

"You're all crazy" she said.

Tenten could see the light blush on her cheeks, as well as the others. Sakura went over and pulled at her cheeks.

"I see blushing. Cough up" she said in a stiff voice.

Matsuri shook her head.

"It's no one" she said in a strangled voice.

The three girls raised suspicious brows and Hinata slid to her side, eyes gleaming.

"How about" she paused for affect. "This?"

She whipped out a picture from her back pocket. Matsuri choked on her own spit and Sakura let her go as they crowded around the picture. It was dated several years back. A young Matsuri and Gaara were hugging, smiles on both of their faces. Well, Gaara was wearing a more childish version of his smirk while Matsuri really smiled. The happiness travelled up their faces and actually hit their eyes. Tenten had never seen Gaara be as happy as he might have been in the picture. The two held onto each other and Tenten could vaguely tell that Matsuri was unstable from laughing. It was kid beauty. Matsuri full on blushed as she snatched the picture away.

"Where did you get that?" she said, shielding it with her hands.

Everyone turned to Hinata, all attention on her. The girl smiled and held up her hands in a 'what-can-I-say?" gesture.

"Connections" she said.

Tenten smacked her a high five as did Sakura and Ino. Matsuri stuffed the photo into her pocket.

"Damn Hyuugas" she muttered.

Hinata giggled into the palm of her hand as they went back to song writing. After they had cleared the hard part writing one was easy. Tenten whirled her drumsticks in her hands. She held one up.

"In honor of Matsuri, Hinata, and their romance I say we write a love song"

Her face was a mocking calm that was countered by the glares of the two mentioned girls.

"Aye" yawned Ino, putting a hand up in the air.

"Aye" echoed Sakura.

"Traitor" hissed Matsuri.

Tenten coughed.

"3 to 2. We win. Now lets get to it!"

The next hour or so was spent trying to think of a love song that wasn't too sappy or melodramatic in any way. Tenten looked up from her sheet and saw the usual scribbles and random nonsense. She knew that they made no sense. She had no one to direct them to. Or her love for any matter. She glanced over to Hinata and Matsuri. Hina was staring at the wall, her slim hands delicately poised over her keys. Every once in a while they would come down to play a long chord or write down a fragment. Matsuri herself had taken out the picture and was holding it in both hands.

"I'd forgotten" she murmured as Tenten came to sit with her.

"What? That you'd taken the picture or that you liked him?"

Matsuri made no move to deny the fact.

"That there was a moment like this."

Tenten leaned next to her.

"How old were you two?" she asked.

Matsuri gripped the picture harder.

"We were 7. Things got bad after that"

Tenten nodded, even if she had no clue what the hell was going on. It would be better that way.

"Yeah"

Matsuri looked over her paper. It too was littered with crap.

"It's hard" she said, scrunching her nose up in frustration.

Tenten snorted, rolling her eyes.

"It's harder when you've got no one to direct it to."

"Yeah…" said Matsuri.

Tenten grinned but she saw something in Matsuri's eyes that said 'I-really-don't-believe-you'.

"What?" she asked.

Matsuri just shook her head.

"Like you said. It'll happen some day"

"Half a millennia away" shot back Tenten.

Matsuri just kept shaking her head and the two lapsed back into silence.

By 10 that night the girls had worked themselves beyond death and were ready to collapse.

"Cant…go…on…" groaned Tenten.

"Must…go…on…" replied Sakura.

Matsuri and Hinata reviewed the paper that held the final lyrics.

"Are you sure it's not too cheesy?" Hinata murmured her eye loaded with sleep.

"Nah" yawned Matsuri.

"By this point I think I stopped caring" added Ino.

The others nodded, Tenten even falling asleep after a particularly deep nod.

"Wake up" said Ino, shoving her in the shoulder.

The brunette was startled awake and she yawned. They all abandoned their instruments and trudged down the several halls to the elevator. They passed the guys on the way and they fell into step next to them.

"Wassup?" murmured Neji.

"Shurrup" muttered back Tenten.

None of them were in the mood for talk and were two of the only bands left in the surrounding area. Gaara tiredly punched the up button. Even the insomniac was tired. The elevator came and they all piled in. The doors slid shut and started the assent to their floor. About halfway to the 8th level the elevator slammed to a stop. Hinata snapped her head up, as did the others.

"Hn?" growled Sasuke and Neji, their voices barely audible.

Then the lights went out.

"Dammit" muttered Naruto's voice.

"Yes indeed" echoed Matsuri's high one.

Silence.

"Oh who gives a shit" said the voice called Shikamaru.

There was a slight whump and none of them needed light to know that he had dropped to the floor.

"Shika-kun?" asked the darkness.

There was no reply and Sakura kicked around for the body. It hit something squishy and she recoiled.

"Yep he's definitely there."

"I bet he fell asleep before his head hit the ground" muttered Tenten's voice.

She too crouched down and leaned on the floor.

"He's right" yawned Matsuri. "Who gives a shit?"

There was some shuffling as they all sat on the floor, trying to make themselves comfortable. Not for the first time, Tenten thanked the hotel people for making the elevator large. She leaned back and didn't exactly find a wall. She stiffened immediately and knew it was someone there. Not being able to tell whom it was she leaned back. She was too tired to care anyway.

"Sorry" she mumbled before dropping off to sleep.

Neji felt someone lean on him, then stiffen at the contact. He too had no clue who it was but didn't mind when the person leaned back on him again. He heard female voice mutter an apology but he couldn't place who it was. Heck, he couldn't place where it even came from.

"Hn" he said before going to sleep as well.

**That was a pretty short chapter. Yeah…and random too. Hahahaha…REVIEW!**


	17. Smash 2 and Kidnapping

17:33

**Thanks to: MollieBabiie, MoonKrystal, Katarina Wolffe, jUSTMiNNA, hartqueen10, and Moonlight Water.**

**There's a sort of random announcement/advertisement that you guys should read at the end. Well, you don't have to but try.**

The next morning, at some unknown time, the elevator started jolting upwards again. They were all startled awake and came to just in time to see the door open to several technicians.

"Kami" one breathed at the sight before him. "Have you kids been here all night?"

There were several nods and maybe a blurry 'yeah'. The techs helped the teens up and they stumbled to their rooms. Well, this time they all went to the girls' room, since it was the closest. After everyone had fully awoken they ambled to their own rooms for a change of clothes and one last run through. Round two of the smash off was going to be held at 2 that day at the same place. The girls quickly put on the same shirts and some shorts. It was going to be hot day so they all slapped on some sunblock and rushed to the practice room. By 1:30 they were at the stage area. This time it was decked out in balloons. Arcs of the colorful helium filled stuff filled entrances and little bunches brightened up the area. The sky was cloudless and clear, ranging in a shade of different blues. Tenten once again set her drum set up on the little platform. She too was expected to be rolled out for the performance. It was only then the girls realized that there were only 38 bands.

"How many were there to start with?" Sakura asked.

Hinata, who had looked at the roster, answered the question.

"I think there were about 63"

"Whoa…" breathed Ino.

"They got wiped out fast" finished Matsuri.

Tenten nodded. This was not going to be one easy competition. KMC was trying to make one of the hardest, if not famed, music competitions of the century. She twirled her drumsticks in the way that most do and waited for the guys. It was nearing 2 but there was still no sign of them. The brunette glanced down at the paper she held in her hands. Instead of being mailed a number they were given one at the entrance to backstage. A tiny number 6 glared up at her.

"Damn" she muttered.

Then she waved the clipping in front of the others' faces.

"Numba six" she said, crinkling her nose in displeasure.

Ino facepalmed and Matsuri dead panned.

"Karma happens to hate us today doesn't it?" mused Sakura.

There was dry humor in her voice. No one laughed. It was about 2:15 when Tenten felt Hinata tugging at her sleeve.

"They're still not here" she murmured, pale eyes scanning the room.

The female Hyuuga was right. There was no sign of Apocalyptic Death in the bustling room.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon. You know how they're late" Sakura assured.

"Never as late as us" muttered Ino.

It finally reached 2:30 and the girls could here the familiar voices of Kiba and Sai announce the second round of the smash off. They all knew better than to go out and view the presentation. The crowd and sight of the judges would do no good in calming their nerves.

"Care for a stroll around the park?" Matsuri asked in a pompous voice.

Tenten smiled. They needed to loosen up. She set her arm on top of Matsuri's in a ladylike way and they proceeded to 'stroll' around the room. Sakura offered Hinata her own and they too followed behind. Ino, being the one without the partner fell into step behind them all and played a quiet fanfare. Tenten hummed along to it and was joined with the obviously fake male voice of Matsuri. Before long they were all singing and several other bands had caught on to the repeating melody. A drummer, 2 bassists, a keyboardist, and a guitarist joined in the playing and the mood of the room lightened considerably.

"The power of a stroll" said Hinata striking down on a chord that caused a chorus of 'ah's to erupt from her speakers.

Sakura chuckled and she sat down at Hinata's feet, pushing backwards as she went.

"Whose turn is it?" she asked.

Ino took a swift look around and asked a random guy with glasses what band had just gone. When the blonde heard the answer she blanched.

"What?" asked Matsuri.

"We're next" said Ino.

They could hear applause outside and the band came back through the wings.

"Number six" they called.

The girls all looked at each other. Matsuri even started chanting to herself.

"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye…"

Hinata continued the gruesome tale with her own monotone.

"…pull out the needle with a cry, swear to Kami and don't ask why…."

"…the hell you guys are doing this" bluntly cut in Tenten.

The two girls shrugged.

They were called out on stage and with a quick breath they started the pushing once more. Before she was wheeled out Tenten couldn't help but look once more. She saw nothing.

This time there was an even larger crowd. The balloons filled in more empty spaces than people could so Tenten couldn't tell how many people could possibly be there. The band had planned not to introduce themselves and go straight on with the songs. They found it unnecessary. Hoping for a bright day like this, they wrote a sort of lighter song. Sakura and Ino started in harmony at they beginning.

I remember laughing

Whenever I thought of you

Before those days came crashing

Crashing down in two

Pieces of nothing

Invisible somethings

Tears that were there

Those days you were there

Ino started playing the bass and Hinata came in on a grand with Tenten soon after. The vocals switched to Tenten and Hinata.

I remember walking

Walking through clouds

That lifted me up to the skies

And the stars when I was falling down

You were there to catch me

There to tell me

Don't cry

Don't cry

Matsuri and Sakura came in with their electrics and they all sang. It was less complicated than before but their mixed voices emphasized the song.

I remember when everything was simple

Love was simple

Life was simple

Those happier days

They all flew away

And I'm still asking why

In that same direction of sky

Short music interval and then Matsuri and Sakura returned.

I remember feeling

When seeing your face

The times there was something there

Walking to the same pace

Of that clock running

Out of time

Time that was coming

Back to life

And I remember you seeing

The darkest light

There was a small build up of noise where Tenten slammed so hard on her drums that she though they were going to break.

I remember when everything was simple

Love was simple

Life was simple

Those happier days

They all flew away

And I'm still asking why

In that same direction of sky

Hinata and Matsuri sang the next phrase alone, only accompanied by the grand.

Left behind

Its all a blank slate

Still wondering why

Things happened that way

I remember

I remember

I really do

Those times there was nothing there

Do I really care?

I swear it

There was a longer interval of a crazy solo and they all came back for the final run through.

I remember when everything was simple

Love was simple

Life was simple

Those happier days

They all flew away

And I'm still asking why

In that same direction of sky

Ino and Matsuri fingered their guitars some more until the song gave out into one last ring of the electric. There was a small silence, as if people weren't really sure if the song had really ended. Then there was loud applause, louder than before. Tenten couldn't help but glow at the praise. This was the song that had taken them ages to write, one that had been done without the help of Inners. Just feelings. The world of lights and music seemed to dim a bit as Tenten remembered that people were missing. Nonetheless, she and the other girls pushed the worries out of their heads and accepted the applause with grace. Well, as best as they could at the moment.

**MEANWHILE**

"Dammit" muttered Neji as he pounded his fist repeatedly on the door. Naruto was beside him, jiggling the handle and Sasuke was next to him, kicking the door.

"What time is it?" asked Gaara.

Shikamaru gently punched his phone and it switched to the main screen.

"3:04" he said, clicking some more.

Neji moved away from the door and sat heavily. He looked up to the dark ceiling and groaned silently to himself. They were currently in a room. To be specific it was a freaking tiny closet in some weird part of the hotel. Shikamaru's phone was the only one that was charged and was the only source of light. The worst part was that the door was locked and was made of some metal thing that would not give in to the awesome power of ninjaness.

"Fuck fukkity fuck fuck" cursed Sasuke, giving the door one last kick.

The pale gray door didn't budge and they gave up.

_**FLASHBACK**_

"Hurry up!" yelled Naruto. "We're going to miss the bus!"

The members of AD were scrambling to pack up their instruments. They had already gotten dressed and were going through their songs when they had lost track of time. Shikamaru quickly zipped up his bag and dragged it to the door. Amazingly, Naruto had been the first ready. He had already piled his drum set at the front of the room and was helping the others. Sasuke slung his bass over his shoulder and made for the door. Neji and Gaara followed, both adjusting the straps as they went. They walked swiftly towards the exit that would take them to the large field like before when Naruto had to go back to the room. The entire band stopped and Gaara took the time to go to the bathroom. Shikamaru was lounging in a chair in the lobby while Sasuke and Neji were at the front desk. Sasuke was about to say something to Neji when a teen their age with long pale red hair stepped up to them. (Guess who)

"Uchiha Sasuke?" she asked, her voice somewhat soft and shy.

The dark Uchiha looked at her.

"Yeah?" he asked.

The girl bowed her head and motioned behind her.

"There's someone asking for you" she said.

"Who?" he shot back, onyx eyes narrowing.

The girl tugged at her hair and seemed to shrink back.

"I wasn't told her name. She had short pink hair and green eyes."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Sakura? Shouldn't she already be at the fields?

"Right" he said.

He looked at Neji and handed him his guitar.

"I'll be back" he muttered.

Then he followed the girl to where she was pointing and they disappeared behind a corner. Neji set down the bass and sighed. When was Naruto going to get back? Gaara too was a taking an unusually long time in the bathrooms. Neji rolled his eyes. Naruto had probably gotten lost, although he couldn't explain Gaara's tardiness. The Hyuuga looked over to the chair that Shikamaru was sitting in and expected the boy to have fallen asleep. Neji blinked once and looked again. Then he looked around the entire lobby. His eyes had never failed him: Shikamaru was gone.

"Aw mother of…" Neji groaned.

He hid the instruments the best he could and looked around for his lazy bandmate. When he couldn't find him he went to the bathrooms. There he found nothing as well. All of the stalls were empty. Neji hoped this was all a bad dream and that Gaara might have accidentally stepped into the room with the ladies sign on it but no. Neji started half jogging. A lump of panic was starting to rise in his throat as he climbed into the elevator. It was empty, save one tall gangly guy. Neji pressed the button that would take him to the band room they had practiced in earlier and waited. He was shifting his position when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. A fist was flying at him from out of nowhere. Neji whirled and it took all of his ninja skills to avoid the arm, grab hold of it, and twist it. It was the other guy in the elevator. A smirk twisted his lips as Neji held on to his arm.

"Not bad" he hissed.

Neji twisted harder and was about to throw him when a foot came to meet his face. He snapped his head to the side and the foot missed his hair by a millimeter.

"What the hell?" thought the Hyuuga as he twisted the man away.

Seriously, the crazy guy was creepily flexible. Neji tried to get in an attack of his own but a leg tripped him while the other kicked him in the stomach. Neji coughed as the guy pinned him to the elevator wall. They had never reached the floor Neji was trying to get to. The man had pushed for the very top floor. Neji was waiting for a punch or some sort of kick but the man grinned happily.

"Nighty" he sang in a strange creepy voice.

All Neji could remember after that was darkness.

_**FLASHBACK END**_

They had all awakened in the same darkened room. After hearing each other out they realized that this was carefully planned.

"That little…" growled Sasuke.

The girl that had come up earlier had led him to the back of the hotel. Sakura was not there and when he turned to leave the girl kissed him ZOMG. Sasuke tried to get away but that girl was freakin strong.

"Like Iron Man or something" said Sasuke, shuddering.

He too had probably been drugged. Naruto and Shikamaru were captured in the same way, snuck up on and drugged. Neither of them had seen their captor's faces. Gaara, on the other had had managed to get a black eye while he was at it. His captor was also a male. Gaara said he tried to fight him off but he was backed up into a stall. Naruto started to get paranoid and he started rambling off about random stuff.

"Maybe they're drug dealers that got chased out of China or something and decided to capture some people so that they could get more crack and-"

Neji hit him on the head and the blonde fell over backwards. There was a loud crash but no one went to look for him.

"Don't hit him too hard" muttered Sasuke. "He doesn't have the brain cells to spare"

Gaara smirked and they all sat in silence for a bit longer. Shikamaru had estimated that they had been in the room for about 45.

"We can't wait much longer" he said, still searching through the phone.

Sasuke, Gaara, Neji, and Shikamaru were all on the floor trying to think of minutes something genius.

"c'mon, c'mon, c'mon" murmured Neji, straining his brain for any possibilities.

There were some crashes and they all leapt up. Several dark forms in the back moved and the guys advanced. Shikamaru held up his phone and the faint light revealed….Naruto holding a crowbar.

"Hey guys!" he exclaimed, waving the bar around like a baton. "Look what I found!"

They all sweatdropped and Gaara took the crowbar from Naruto's hands. He held it out in front of him and bent his head.

"Please help us, sir crowbar" he pleaded.

The others bowed and Naruto even got down on his knees. The all stared at the long bar, which was ominously still.

Silence.

"Ok" said Sasuke, snatching the bar away and holding to the door.

"Dear hotel" recited Neji as they all grabbed at the bar. "We apologize for destroying your door"

With a final tug the door came free and they all scrambled out.

"Where the hell are we?" asked Shikamaru.

They were in a dark tunnel like hallway. Steam pipes lined the ceiling and walls, often releasing damp air. They looked around and Gaara spotted something.

"Elevator!" he said.

They piled in at godspeed and Sasuke looked to the buttons. Only two options were there: G-ground level and B-basement.

"Damn" whistled Naruto "They took us underground."

Neji pressed the G button and they arrived to another hall. From there they managed to find their way to the lobby again. Fortunately, their instruments had not been touched and the guys secured them. Naruto ran for his drum set when they all realized that they had no way to get to the smash off.

"SHIT" they wailed.

They ran outside and knew that no bus would be there. Gaara collapsed on the curb, Sasuke and Shikamaru sitting next to him. Neji crossed his arms and cursed. Someone had clearly not wanted them in the competition. Neji was looking around when a flash of silver caught his eye.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" he roared, running at their teacher.

The other guys leapt up and followed the male Hyuuga.

"Oh, hey" said Kakashi, raising his hand in greeting.

"What are you doing here?" asked Naruto, who had just returned.

Kakashi shrugged.

"I come here often and it's the weekend"

Naruto rushed forwards and grasped his teacher's shoulders.

".have.?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi blinked.

"Yeah" he said. "I took the school van right after classes ended."

Shikamaru sighed and Gaara nearly got on his knees and cried. Keyword: nearly. Gaara would never do anything of the sort. Evaaar.

"YOU'VE GOTTA HELP US" shouted Naruto.

Kakashi stared blankly at them.

"What?"

"Could you drive us to the smash off?" asked Neji.

A look of 'oh' crossed their teachers face and he motioned to the van.

"Get in the car, kids" he said lazily.

**SMASH OFF**

It was 4:14 and IB had joined the crowd below. They had received a good score of 28, which had made them somewhat happier. Still, they wondered if AD had ever made it backstage. They couldn't go back so they had no way of knowing. After a fairly suckish band Kiba came up and called for AD.

"Band number 36: Apocalyptic Death!"

Silence.

The girls started sweating. It was now clear that the guys weren't anywhere near the smash off.

**THE VAN**

"HURRY UP SENSEI!" yelled Naruto.

The blonde was shaking his fist up and down as if he was shaking a saltshaker. Kakashi looked up from the wheel.

"I'm trying" he muttered.

The silver haired teacher was indeed trying He had surprisingly great skills in weaving through the long lines of traffic. More than once he nearly rammed into a car but he always got away by a few millimeters. After a particularly sharp turn Neji came up from where he had fallen.

"Where the hell did you learn to drive like this?" he asked, shakily.

Sasuke and Gaara who had also fallen glared intently at their teacher. Kakashi turned around and his smiled, his eyes curving.

"I used to speed race in the city when I was younger."

Shikamaru choked.

"Like illegally?" he asked.

Kakashi grinned even more as he shot past two cars.

"Yeah. So did Anko, Kurenai, and Asuma."

There was sort of an unbelieving silence in the car. It really was unlikely that 4 of the many teachers in the school had been racing partners. Kakashi turned to see their skeptic looks and he shrugged.

"The reason why I got a job here was because we won a race. Oh, and I was a student of Tsunade and Jiraiya too."

All of the guys fell over again at another sharp turn.

"What?" said Sasuke. "The only reason you got a job at this place was because you won a race, got Tsunade tons of money for sake, and was her student?"

Kakashi frowned at the guys' faces. His voice took on the barest hint of pride as he said his next line.

"Of course not. Well, that was part of it but I graduated college when I was 19 you know."

Naruto reeled back and pointed.

"YOU?"

"Yes"

"YOU?"

"Yes"

"YOU?"

"Yes"

Before they could freak out anymore Kakashi pulled up into the parking lot that wasn't too far away from the smash off area.

"C'mon, let's get going" said Gaara.

They all unloaded as fast as they could and they could just barely hear Kiba's voice.

"Apocalyptic Death?"

The crowd was starting to get reckless and the band knew they were too far away.

"Crap" said Naruto as he struggled with his drums. Kakashi swept up two of them and led the way to the crowd.

"We won't be able to make it!" protested Neji.

Kakashi turned all serious and turned.

"Aren't you going to try?"

**THE GIRLS**

Tenten balled her hands into fists. If AD didn't make it to the stage they would be disqualified. She knew how much it would mean to them if they won. Kiba called out once more for the band, his voice containing just a hint of worry. Sakura leaned over and whispered.

"Is this it?"

Matsuri shook her head.

"It can't be. They'd never miss this."

Ino nodded with the girl.

"This is their first and probably most important competition. Knowing who they are they…they'd…"

There really was no other word to fit in the blank space. It was too hard explain the band's absence. Kiba climbed off the stage to consult with the judges and Sai. From where they were, the girls could see Kiba arguing. Sai and the judges were shaking their heads but Kiba kept talking.

"Kiba-kun…" said Hinata.

"He must be crazy to piss them off like that" murmured Sakura.

They were still arguing when the crowd started to rustle. The MC's and the judges look up to see the crowd turning away, starting from the far back.

"Are they leaving?" Ino asked incredulously.

More and more people started turning their backs to the stage. A wave of confusion swept the remaining crowd and the girls looked back. They couldn't see anything but the heads of people.

"What is it?" asked Matsuri.

"I don't know…" murmured Hinata, searching rapidly.

Tenten was about to ask something when she stopped. She strained her ears and her eyes widened. She couldn't have made a mistake. She did really hear the tiny ringing of a bass. A really familiar bass. She started to run and Hinata latched onto her hand. Sakura, Ino, and Matsuri all grabbed each other in a train and they allowed themselves to be lead the through the crowd by their bun headed friend.

"Where are you going?" yelled Sakura.

"I'm going to find them!" replied Tenten.

With one final push they reached the edge of the crowd. It open up into a little clearing and in the middle, half on the grass, half on the gravel, stood AD. They had their instruments and wires all in a tangle. Even Naruto's drums were all over the place but he managed to play like he always did. The guitars and keyboard were plugged into two tiny amps that Kakashi had supplied for them. Still, the sound wasn't very loud and they had to play as loud and as hard as they could, just to be heard from the back. Neji and Sasuke were practically yelling out their lyrics to the song.

I'm looking

I'm searching

For the non-existing

Peace we all live for

See you wandering

Through the ashes

Of being

Blind and lost

It was all the cost

It took to

Jump out to the

Empty air out there

And pull away

All life has a meaning

Or so they say

Until that way

It's black and it's white

The back and the light

Of then unending dreamland

I'm reaching for your hand

The clouds in the sky

I can just barely touch them

But I open my eyes

And its back to the

Back and the light

I'm running

I'm flying

To save all the mindless

Souls out there

Its hard just to face

The truth we call living

Its still a race

To see who can go faster

And reach the end

Is it all really

Really there

We can all hope

Or just die believing

And fade away

Fly away

It's black and it's white

The back and the light

Of that unending dreamland

I'm reaching for you hand

The clouds in the sky

I can just barely touch them

But I open my eyes

And its back to the

Back and the light

I know what I'm doing

As I fall to what's nothing

Anyway

But

I'll pull you up

Out of the darkness

That place

Where it cold

The feeling of being alone

Is engulfing

Sometimes I stop breathing

And sigh

It's black and its white

The back and the light

Of that unending dreamland

I'm reaching for you hand

The clouds in the sky

I can just barely touch them

But I open my eyes

And it's back to the

Back and the light

Neji and Sasuke repeated the chorus for good measure and they ended the song with the drums, keyboard, and guitars all playing to one 4-note rhythm. The cheering came even before they finished the song and the people wouldn't shut up, not matter how Kiba tried. Kakashi wasn't too far away looking at the band. His one eye softened as he saw them laughing. They reminded him of the band he was a part of. Rin, Obito, and….Kakashi looked over to the Uzumaki as he thought of the last name. He wondered if Naruto knew anything at all. Then, from the edge of the crowd, five girls burst through. They ran at the guys and Kakashi grinned as he watched Tenten shake them so hard they had to grab onto the others for support.

'_kids'_ thought the silver haired man as he turned away '_we were all one of them at some point…'_

He looked up to the cloudless sky and shook his head.

'…_right…Obito? Rin?'_

**THE BANDS**

"ZOMFSOIF!" yelled Tenten as she shook Neji.

The male Hyuuga pried himself from her mega grip, his head spinning. Sakura and Hinata had gone over to Naruto and Sasuke. While Sakura lectured them both in a furor of worry and some twisted kind of friend love Hinata stood carefully by the side. It wasn't until she plucked at Naruto's sleeve that he spoke to her and apologized for worrying her.

"What does ZOMFSOIF mean?" asked Shikamaru from his position where Ino had tackled him.

Tenten let go of Neji's hair and dragged him over to him. Ino glared at her childhood friend, as did Matsuri. She knew better that to attack Gaara but she did her best to verbally drop-kick his ass all the way to hell.

"ZOMFSOIF means: Zoh My Fucking Son Of an Idiotic Fish" Tenten explained.

Neji helped Shikamaru up and the two bands got together at the back of the clearing.

"APOCALYPTIC DEATH!"

Everyone turned at the loud shout that came from the speakers and amps. Kiba was onstage pointing at the band. He glared at them and waved them forwards.

"Oh we are so screwed" muttered Shikamaru as the crowd parted like the Red Sea.

Before long there was a long empty space in the middle of the crowd that led straight to the crowd, MC's, and judges. The girls disappeared into the crowd and struggled to follow the band as they walked closer to the stage. When they managed to climb up onto the platform Kiba came straight to them and motioned for them to line up in a straight line.

"And now…" murmured Sai.

"…THE LAST JUDGEMENT!" yelled Kiba.

They pointed to the judges and said judges frowned.

"We'd like for you to play your final song" said Bubbles Guy.

Killer Bee started rapping and he finished with:

"This is a freakin warning"

Naruto gulped visibly and they waited as helpers got the instruments on stage. Neji and Sasuke stepped up to the mikes and nodded. Sasuke flashed a peace sign to the others that signaled them to begin the song. There was a fairly long beginning of bass and electric before Neji came in unexpectedly.

Sometimes I wonder to myself

Why lie

If the worlds gonna end

Don't cry

Cause there's always someone out there

Or there was always someone out there

More bass with Naruto coming in. When the next stanza started Sasuke started singing soft harmony.

That clock ticking backwards

It falls like a star

In that night sky

By your side

Watch steps be retraced

And pain be embraced

When all that's left

Is the feeling of nothing

See hope in their eyes

Build up and then die

Cause you know that its true

That clock's ticking backwards

There was a big drum and electric solo, which got the people really worked up. By the time they started singing again even Gaara was offering a smile to the crowd.

Wishes are wished on

Just same as shooting stars

The way they used to do

Used to do

Sasuke was singing solo until Neji came in for a reversed part.

See you walking away

But come back anyway

Cause the other sides dry

Only the dead cry

And white glitter and sparkles

Flash in that moment

When we all die

Just to come live again

The cycles unending

Even if you're pretending

Cause its no lie

That clock's ticking backwards.

All but the bass stopped playing and Neji and Sasuke were singing the same melody together.

The beginning of time

It was all a replay

The life on the line

It was all a fake

The end of the world

Just watch it happen

Whenever

However

Does it happen

Tick

There was a 5 second interval when they all stopped doing anything. The crowd was getting epically confused and a few people started clapping when the two singers came back for the last lines.

That hand on the surface

It rolls with the life

Of our joy and our laughter

All the pain and the bloodiness

That's hidden underneath

In that unending cycle

Cause you know that its true

That clock's ticking backwards.

Naruto slammed on his drums crazily and the song ended with a replay of the guitar solo. At the very end Naruto gave one last slam that was so hard that his drumsticks flew out of his hands.

"Oh shit!" he yelled.

Gaara and Sasuke lunged for one stick as Neji leapt for the other. They all missed and the two sticks went hurtling. Naruto was still in a panic when the wooden sticks hit a bunch of balloons. Several of them popped but the strings managed to become undone and at least 13 balloons flew into the air. The crowd cheered and more and more kids were getting lifted up onto their parent's shoulders. They reached for the balloons, knowing that they were clear out of their grasp. The five guys on stage were breathing hard when Sai brought them their score.

"28!"

Neji grinned like he had never before. It wasn't as good as Akatsuki but AD didn't have the effect that Akatsuki had either. The band descended directly into the crowd after roughly pushing their instruments into the wings. IB was waiting for them but Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Naruto was still in hyper-blonde mode and even Shikamaru seemed to be hyped up. Neji felt like jumping too and Sasuke had a creepy good spark in his eye. Gaara was blushing a little as Matsuri hug-tackled him. Neji was feeling a rush of adrenaline and he suddenly found himself hugging someone.

"Neji?"

It was Tenten. He hurriedly let go of her but she didn't seem to notice anything wrong.

"You guys did great, like hacking awesome, or…or…or…" she trailed off, grinning like an idiot.

"Thanks" replied Neji, hoping that no one had seen them.

When they turned to the others they were too occupied in their own victories.

"I SAY WE GO GET RAMEN!" proposed Naruto.

"HELL YEAH!" was the response.

**ZE RAMEN SHOP/STALL/STORE/RESTAURANT**

The sun was just beginning to set and Naruto was on his eighth bowl of ramen.

"AFUHG!" he said in delight.

Sakura chuckled to herself. She was lodged in between Sasuke and Naruto, happily slurping ramen. Hinata was seated next to Naruto with Shikamaru, Ino, Matsuri, and Gaara finishing the line. Tenten sat next to Sasuke with Neji, and Kiba on their side.

"Another Miso Ramen with everything!" ordered Naruto.

The waitress was grinning like mad as she swiftly went to place the order. In about three minutes Naruto was stuffing his face again. Tenten leaned back and sighed contentedly. She was fiddling with the chopsticks when she heard a voice.

"Yo!"

The entire group turned to see Kakashi walking towards them.

"Kakashi-sensei?" asked Ino.

The teacher nodded and then they all caught sight of the two people next to him.

"Tsunade-sama?" said Matsuri.

"ERO-SENNIN?" yelled Naruto.

Jiraiya cuffed Naruto on the head and the boy fell into his ramen. Tsunade walked forwards and an approving grin formed on her face.

"Kakashi here told us how well you were doing so we came to see." She said.

Jiraiya snorted and he glanced at Kakashi.

"He was bragging like I've never seen him do."

They all beamed pure, raw, epic, joy at their teacher. Kakashi took the thanks and offerings with a yawn. Tsunade sat next to the group and Kakashi and Jiraiya joined her. The staff members ordered some tea and dango before getting to business.

"You've heard about the third round haven't you?" asked Jiraiya as he took a bite of dango.

Sakura rubbed the back of her head nervously as she smiled.

"Well…not really"

Tsunade tutted at them while she ordered more sake. She poured herself and the other two adults some before explaining.

"The other reason besides coming here to see you was to bring you back to the school"

A 'WHAT?' was about to come from all of them when Kakashi turned back to them from where he was facing to eat.

"The third round isn't here" he said, securing his mask. "It's in another city by the sea."

"WHOOT" yelled Naruto grabbing for a cup of sake.

"Not here?" asked Tenten.

Jiraiya nodded.

"It's in a couple of days so you'll have a chance to get back to the school before you have to leave again"

"Goody" muttered Sasuke.

Tsunade death glared.

"We're giving you a week off on this because" she paused to get more sake "You guys are pretty much the base of the pride"

Everyone frowned. No one had ever really gotten Tsunade's logic. It was erratic but in the end it all came out good. Well, opposed to her gambling…

"Pride?" they all went.

"Yeah" was the only explanation that the headmaster provided.

When it got really late they all headed back to the hotel. They planned to leave early the next morning so everyone had to pack quickly. Tenten was neatly arranging her clothes, as were the other girls.

"They say it's the finals" murmured Hinata.

Ino laughed.

"Who would've thought we'd make it this far?"

"Who would have thunk it" corrected Matsuri.

Tenten smirked as she propped up her Mac.

"Whoda thunk it" she added.

Sakura shook her head and she looked out the window.

"At least we'll be back at the school for a bit"

"It's not that long." Said Hinata "I think Kakashi-sensei said it was only for three days or so."

"Yeah"

"Yeah"

"Yeah"

"Yeah"

"Yeah"

Silence.

Tenten suddenly turned around, sending the shirt she was holding flying.

"You know?" she started

"Hm?" everyone asked.

"I really want some sake now"

_***ANNOUNCEMENTS***_

**Yo, this is 88. **

**Anyways…fanfic related stuff:**

***I know that was a really random place to end.**

***The next chapter will be updated on the 31****st****.**

***So I get a 5 day **_**HIATUS. HAH!**_

**Non-fanfic related stuff:**

_**READ THIS NOW**_

**I am on a forum…called…The Anime Empire. You can find it at: .us or Google: Anime Empire: You want it we have it I know it says Code Geass but it's animanga in general. **

**So**

_**JOIN NOW. WE ARE ON A RECRUITING RAMPAGE.**_

**The entire place is a family forum and it's really awesome. I'm 88spades usually called 88 so when you introduce yourself at the introductions area say who you are and who told you to join + what you want to say.**

**Why?**

**Because a I want to know who you are b I want to see how many of you take this seriously and c I get credit points.**

**If you don't get the points thing go join and then you can find out.**

*****_**THIS HAS BEEN AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM 88/ANGEL**_*****


	18. Halloweenishness P1

16:36

**Yo.**

**I know its not Halloween.**

**Which was days ago.**

**But it turned out that this would get too long if I made it one chapter. **

**So I'll upload part one first. even if it is late**

**Yeah.**

**It's late here…6 hour difference from where i usually am.**

**Thanks to: ChopSticks, InFieryPeace, MRZ. UZUMAKI, and Towards the sun.**

**HALLOWEEN PART 1**

Three rounds of '1001 Bottles of Sake On The Wall', 8 bags of chips, and 19 sodas later the group got back just in time for Halloween. They were all outside on a somewhat hidden part of the school grounds, lounging around on the brittle fall grass.

"An event?" asked Ino

Naruto, who had brought the news, nodded earnestly.

"Yeah, they're turning the entire school into a haunted house! THE ENTIRE FREAKIN SCHOOL!" the blonde spread his arms wide for emphasis.

"Apparently it came to Tsunade when she was drunk yesterday night" added Sasuke, not taking his eyes away from the book he was studying. "She's letting us have free reign on this."

Tenten's eyes lit up like fireworks. She too was trying to study for the test that they would have to take just before they left.

"Free reign?" she repeated.

Neji nodded.

"The clubs have split into teams and-"

"THE GEEKY CLUBS JUST DECLARED WAR ON US!"

Everyone turned to see Kiba barreling towards them. Although he wasn't exactly part of the two bands they had adopted him into their inner circle.

"What?" cried Hinata.

Kiba was out of breath but it was clear that he was excited. He ran a hand through his hair and breathed some more.

"Haven't you heard?" he asked. "Even if the clubs are branching off, the band decided to split off into a bajillion teams. People are already declaring war on you guys!"

Silence.

""

All of them burst out laughing until Kiba grabbed the two people closest to him, who just happened to be Sakura and Shikamaru, and slammed their heads together.

"GET IT TOGETHER OR ELSE YOU'LL BE DEAD!" he roared.

Everyone quieted.

"Troublesome" groaned Shikamaru, falling to the floor.

Tenten, Ino, and Sakura, and Matsuri started conversing about the future plans of the war when Neji came up behind them. The other guys of AD were close behind.

"Allies?" asked Sasuke.

The girls stared at the extended hands in front of them.

"Deal!" yelled Tenten as she eagerly yanked Neji's arm off.

**1 DAY LATER**

Gaara was pacing the room, looking skeptically at the large pile of junk in front of him.

"Is this really enough?" he asked.

Neji and Sasuke both looked up from the books they were studying. Geometry for Sasuke and If at All Possible, Involve a Cow: The Book of College Pranks for Neji.

"Yeah" drawled Sasuke, pushing his glasses further up the slope of his nose.

"What have we got?" asked Neji.

Gaara shrugged and sifted through the materials needed for the war.

"From what I can tell….we've got streamers, rope, marshmallow guns, mega-water guns, shaving cream, candy corn, some of those really tiny pumpkins, rock hard corn kernel thingies, jawbr-"

"WE GOT IT!"

The door burst open and Naruto ran in, holding his fist high over his head. Shikamaru ambled in after the blonde and shut the door behind him.

"Hm?" asked Sasuke.

"Arf?" barked Akamaru.

Neji and Gaara both looked up to see a whole crap load of shiny stuff protruding from in between Naruto's finger.

"Keys" explained Shikamaru.

Gaara started to giggle evilly but stopped abruptly when Kiba gave him the 'WTF' look.

"IT WAS SO FREAKIN COOL!" yelled Naruto, rolling on the floor. "THE GUARD WAS SUCH A DUMB ASS AND ALL SHIKAMARU HAD TO DO WAS PRETEND TO PASS OUT, well, fall asleep, AND-"

"WE GOT IT!"

The door was once again nearly ripped off its hinges and the girls entered. Tenten was in the lead, clutching a full sized violin case. She presented it to the guys like it was the largest pie on the face of the earth.

They all stared.

"It's a violin case" said Shikamaru.

"Well, no duh" replied Ino.

They all stared some more.

Sakura sighed and urged Tenten to open it.

"C'mon" the pinkette said, nudging the black case with her foot.

Tenten slapped the foot away and glared protectively.

"This took me 12 years to find" she growled.

Matsuri then got down on her other side and they simultaneously flipped the lid open.

"ZOMFG!"

Inside the case, it was completely different. The usually violin shaped caving was replaced by a large more oval like one and inside the soft velvet like material lay a slim, sleek…chainsaw. It was shiny and what seemed to be in perfect condition. The handle was black enhanced with a red dragon crawling up one side. Tears formed at the corners of their eyes.

"It's beautiful" sniffed Naruto.

Sasuke hit him hard over the head.

Before anything bad could happen Hinata threw in some visors into the pile and Neji gathered them all in a circle. They sat on the floor, taking up a lot of space.

"I hereby call to order the Loyal Order of the Epic Hitmen" intoned the male Hyuuga, pounding a fist on a physics textbook.

They all nodded solemnly before they started the somewhat randomly planned meeting of the LOEH.

"The war starts tonight" reminded Ino.

Kiba nodded.

"Tsunade's made it into a contest"

"Contest?" questioned Sakura.

"She and the staff are hiding 5 mini jack-o-lanterns and the teams have to find them" said Matsuri.

"I heard that you can steal from other teams as long as it's in the range of the three hours she's giving us" added Hinata.

"Oh" went Tenten.

"Anyhoo" continued Shikamaru, pulling out a huge-ass piece of paper from out of nowhere. "Give me your phones"

Silence.

"WHAT?" they all yelled, some even clutching their cells.

Shikamaru shrugged.

"I'm going to download the school map as your background"

"Oh"

Then Neji, Sasuke, Gaara, and Shikamaru went on to explain the plan. They were to stay in teams and go for the pumpkins at all costs.

"Steal them if you have to" said Neji.

"What kind of plan is that?" asked Matsuri.

"A good one" cackled Naruto.

They all jumped from the sudden noise and Tenten grinned sheepishly. She took her teal phone from out of Shikamaru's grasp and flipped it open.

"Ooh!" she said looking at the bright screen. "It's a text. I hope its from-OH MY GOD LEAVE ME ALONE."

The brunette chucked her phone and it hit Neji on the forehead.

"Owwwww"

"Who was it?" asked Hinata, ignoring her cousin's pain.

Tenten frowned.

"It was another club death message." She said.

"That's the 13th" groaned Sakura, facepalming.

Everyone else facepalmed as well and after a quick 11 (12 if you count Akamaru) member high-five they dispersed to prepare for battle.

At 6:00 they all met at the guys' dorms to decide on the teams. All of them were dressed in dark clothing and were armed with marshmallow guns, water-guns, a pouch full of ammo (water bottle, marshmallow, corn, shaving cream, jawbreaker-like candy), a flashlight, rope, a tiny pumpkin, rations (candy corn), a weapon of choice, and their personal cells. Tenten herself was gripping her marshmallow gun while the chainsaw and water gun rested on her back.

"Teams?" she asked.

Gaara instructed them to get into 3 groups of 3 and one group of 2. One team had Tenten, Neji, and Sasuke. Another had Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru. Another had Sakura, Ino, and Shikamaru. The final team had Gaara and Matsuri. The speaker system that breached the entire school crackled to life and Tsunade's heavy voice pierced the crisp air.

"Alrighty guys yous can starts" she slurred.

There was a semi-large wave of cheering and after a couple of shouts and curses Tsunade logged out.

"GO!" yelled Naruto.

The blonde took Hinata by the hand and dragged her out of the room, Kiba and Akamaru following close behind. Ino, who had gone outside rushed back in.

"The entire school's lit up like heaven!" she reported.

"Lame" muttered Gaara.

"And we're going to fix it. Bye guys!"

Matsuri and Gaara ran out to join the other clubs who had prepared for war.

"Us too!" cheered Tenten as she jumped out.

Before long Sakura, Ino, and Shikamaru were the only ones left in the dorm building.

"Let's just stay here" said Shikamaru.

Blink

Blink

Blink

"MOVE YOUR LAZY ASS!"

**SQUAD N, H, K, A**

Naruto was still dragging Hinata when he spotted another group of people.

"HE-"

Kiba clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged them all behind a bush.

"Shut up!" he hissed.

"But I wanna shoot them" whined Naruto.

"N-no" said Hinata "We should just immobilize them first."

"Hinata's right" whispered Kiba "We can shoot them after we get them out of the way"

Naruto pouted but agreed to the plan.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

Hinata and Akamaru both looked expectantly at the dog-loving boy.

"I dunno"

**SQUAD G, M**

Gaara led the way through the school with the map on his cell.

"We're almost there" he told Matsuri.

They ran swiftly and…ended up in a janitorial closet.

"Move Gaara!" said Matsuri as she struggled for a light.

Gaara pulled on a line that had been dangling in front of his face and the light revealed a large box installed to the wall.

"Score!" cheered Matsuri.

She tried to open it but it was locked.

"Shit" they muttered, looking at each other.

"We don't have the keys to this" Gaara said.

Matsuri shook her head and pulled out a pin. It was purple and sparkly.

"In you go" she murmured, wiggling the pin.

In a few seconds time there was a click and the door popped open. Inside was a huge mess of wires, buttons, and blinking lights.

"ACK!" wailed Matsuri. "How the hell are we supposed to kill this?"

Gaara calmly reached over and flicked the 'on' switch to 'off'.

The entire school blacked out.

"I" he started "Am a ninja"

"You just flicked the switched"

"Still a ninja, Matsuri."

**SQUAD N, T, S**

Neji, Tenten, and Sasuke were running at full ninja speed when they rammed into a bunch of people.

"YOU!" the people yelled.

The three of them flipped up and pointed.

"YOU!" they responded.

They stared at each other for a moment before Tenten scratched her head and turned to Neji.

"Who were they again?" she whispered.

"I dunno. You, Sasuke?"

"Nope"

The team went back to staring.

"Who are you?" they asked.

The people looked extremely pissed off and one guy came forwards.

"We're the Tech Team" he smirked " and you are going down"

The other Techs (Yes, they shall be known as the Techs) nodded and smirked along with their leader.

The three responded by firing corn.

"WAR!"

**SQUAD S, I, S**

Shikamaru had convinced the two girls he was stuck with to create a makeshift base. It was, according to the quite accurate school map, at the base of the large tree not to far away from the main building and dorms. It was well out of sight, even if, as Shikamaru knew, it was one of the largest trees on campus. The pineapple headed boy peered up at the rough bark and estimated the height from the ground to the lowest branch. It was about 10 feet. He deemed the tree worthy and asked Sakura and Ino to get some stuff he had in his dorm.

"Look," he started. "I've got a bunch of wood plank thingies in my dorm. Get those and some super glue and one of those water proof sheets."

"What?" asked Ino.

"Just do it" he sighed frowning.

Sakura and Ino shrugged and walked briskly away, hands on their guns just in case some minor club decided to attack.

"Troublesome" mumbled Shikamaru.

He then proceeded to make his way to the closest janitorial closet he could find. He pulled out the keys he had borrowed from the idiotic guard and easily opened the door. Inside he managed to find several buckets, and an extendable ladder. He lugged those out to the tree and by the time he got there the girls had returned. A fairly large pile of wood littered the base of the tree and Ino held the super glue while Sakura had neatly folded the sheet. With a nod of approval Shikamaru positioned the ladder and climbed up. He then had the girls lift up the planks one by one. This took awhile but soon the team of three had assembled a large slightly tilted floor of wood in the tree. They then leaned the remaining planks on higher branches to create some sort of roof. Sakura finished by ultra-superglueing the dark green sheet over the top. Then three of them climbed down and observed their work.

"Shikamaru" said Sakura

"Hm?" muttered said person.

"Only you would be able to create a tree house in the span of 20 minutes." Finished Ino.

**SQUAD N, H, K, A + SQUAD N, T, S + TECHS**

After much contemplation the group had managed to booby-trap the entire area. Hinata was away looking for the pumpkins while the boys and the dog were applying the finishing touches to their traps.

"Done!" said Naruto, rubbing his hands together.

"They're coming!"

The two teens turned to see Hinata running towards them.

"Who?" asked Kiba.

"I don't know" replied the female Hyuuga, breathing hard as she tried to explain. "but it was a huge group."

Kiba sent Akamaru forwards but before long the group sped into view. It was a strange clump of stuff and they could see the people flying.

"YAHHHHHHH!"

Akamaru jumped at the familiar voice. Tenten burst out from the outer edge and proceeded to fire more guns armed with corn ammo. Several of the other group had scary metal things in their hands and they proceeded to whack at the other team. It was a good thing that Squad N, T, S had ninja skills and that the other group was stupid enough to hit each other. Sasuke had already switched to shaving cream when Naruto yelled.

"OVER HERE!" he screeched.

Neji started sprinting towards them, with Tenten, Sasuke, and the group in quick pursuit. The group of Techs caught of with Tenten and Sasuke, who were a few feet behind Neji, and the fight started all over again.

"No!" cried Hinata "Neji nii-san, there's a-"

It was too late. The entire group got caught up in the net. Only Tenten and three Techs were spared, due to the fact that they had branched off to fight some more.

"Shit!" yelled Kiba. "Neji, Sasuke you dumbasses"

Neji was currently fighting the Techs even inside the netting. He was covered in shaving cream and choked as he talked.

"Just get me down dammit!" he roared.

"Yeah!" echoed Sasuke as he tried to reload his gun.

"We can't" replied Naruto. "Or they'll get loose."

Tenten had managed to get her Techs stuck in another trap and had come over. She shook her head, grinning up at her squad.

"You poor, poor, sad children" she chided.

The Uchiha and the Hyuuga both death glared and demanded to be let down again. Hinata went over to undo the knots and allowed a space just enough for Neji and Sasuke to break through.

"Suckers" hissed Sasuke as he drenched them in shaving cream, just for good measure. Kiba expertly re-knotted the net and they walked off.

"Did they have a pumpkin?"

Neji shook his head, scraping off the shaving cream.

"Nah, they thought we did"

"-"

Sasuke stared at his blinking phone.

"Uh" he started "Who changed my ringtone?"

The others didn't hear. They were too busy laughing at the repetitive song.

"RINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDING"

Sasuke scowled and flipped open the phone.

"Whaddaya want?" he asked irritably.

"Come to the tree near the arts building" came Shikamaru's voice. "We're all meeting for a reconciling."

Sasuke agreed and Shikamaru hung up. Then he relayed the news to the others.

"Already?" Tenten looked down at her watch. "It's only been 30 minutes"

They all shrugged and followed the map to the tree Shikamaru had directed them to.

"Holy shniezel" whispered Kiba

The tree house was indeed pretty impressive. A ladder descended slowly and they all climbed up. Squad S, I, S was seated around the huge-ass piece of paper from before. Bags of chips and candy littered the floor around them.

"Yo" waved Ino as she crammed the last of a bag of cookies into her mouth.

Everyone settled around the piece of paper and watched as Shikamaru made a series of loops, circles, and x's. Naruto's head was practically revolving in a circle as he tried to make sense of the scribbles.

"Huh?" Tenten asked.

Shikamaru capped the Sharpie he was holding and coughed. He glanced down at his watch and frowned.

"We've only got just over 2 hours now" he announced, getting down to business.

The genius pointed to the color code at the corner. Squad S, I, S was green; Squad N, H, K, A was orange; Squad N, T, S was blue; and Squad G, M was red.

"You need to know your color." He explained "Because there's a route you need to follow"

True to his word a long line of arrows and other markers trailed the map. Even in the mess, they could tell that each squad was assigned a certain section of the school. Tenten was trying to follow her color-coded line and saw that she and her squad were to search the area that held the main building and the surrounding quad. Shikamaru, Sakura, and Ino were staying at the base, while guarding their surrounding area from intruders. Gaara and Matsuri were at the furthest corner from the base. They were at the sports fields and center. The final squad, Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru, were to simply run around the perimeter and attack if they saw the pumpkins. Well, all of them were supposed to attack if they saw the pumpkins but that was beside the point. Shikamaru pounded his fist on the table and ordered them all out. Some of the ninjas managed to jump clear off without getting hurt while the slower ones had to use the ladder. They all ran off in their separate directions and the race started again.

**SQUAD N, T, S**

The group of three ran to their area and entered the building immediately. It was dark inside, thanks to Gaara and Matsuri, but there was a lot of noise coming from inside. Screams echoed as well as battle cries. Tenten jumped up the stairs that led to the second floor but stopped short at the second flight in between the floors. She cautiously lifted her foot and found that the bottom of her shoe was coated in a thick dark liquid. Through the dim light of the moon she could see that it was red.

"Oh fuck" she cursed, gently setting her foot down.

The entire set of stairs was messily covered in the stuff. Neji was behind her, kneeling on the ground. He was examining it closely when Sasuke promptly stuck a finger in it.

"Aw, gross!" frowned Tenten.

Sasuke ignored her comment and fished around in the liquid some more.

"Oil?" he though out loud.

"And ketchup" Neji added, delicately sniffing the stuff.

Tenten raised an eyebrow and she too gingerly put a finger in. It really was thick but even she could see the small bubbles of oil that hadn't mixed very well with the ketchup.

"Hmph" she said as she walked forwards.

About 2.8 seconds later she slipped and found herself falling backwards. Neji caught her but he too cursed as he slipped back. Sasuke, who was the only one on somewhat un-fake-bloodied ground, caught them both with a grunt.

"It's actually hard to go up" said Tenten, putting a hand to her chin.

"It's only ketchup and oil" said Sasuke as he tried walking up.

The other two laughed as he slipped back too. All of them were now covered in fake blood and were getting a little pissed off.

"The railing" suggested Neji.

Tenten and Sasuke noticed that the railing was blood free and they proceeded to creep up the edging. Tenten was the last to haul herself over to the floor and she huffed as she did so. The second floor had become silent. The squad creeped into rooms, searching as thoroughly as they could.

"Book, book, pencil, book, chalk, notebook, ooh! Diary!, candy, candy wrapper…." Tenten listed as she shuffled through the rooms.

They found nothing though and they decided to try the third and final floor of the building.

"Something should be up there" Tenten suggested.

Neji and Sasuke shrugged but they went over to the stairs. This time they were clean and they were about to go up when something big, heavy, and black came barreling at them. They jumped away and it crashed into a desk behind them, nearly taking out a leg. They went in closer to see what it was.

"No way…" hissed Sasuke, an unbelieving look crossing his face.

Neji shook his head as Tenten prodded the thing with her foot. The thing was a 20-pound black bowling ball with a skull drawn onto the side in white out.

**SQUAD N, H, K, A**

"LALALALALALALALA" sang Naruto as they ran on the outer track of the school.

"Shut up!" growled Kiba, sprinting on ahead.

Naruto grinned and took no notice. Hinata, who was running at a steady pace behind them, shook her head as they kept running. She was about to yell out at the guys when Akamaru crashed into her from behind. She fell forwards, the large body of Akamaru under her.

"Akamaru!" she scolded, landing a hit on his head.

The white dog whined in apology and tugged at her sleeve. Hinata sighed and got to her feet, brushing the dirt and other stuff off of her jacket.

"C'MON HINATA!" yelled Naruto, from where he and Kiba had stopped.

Hinata smiled shyly and stepped forwards to run again when she saw something. It was from the top of the sports center, which only had a few people in it. Hinata knew that there was a pool there. The swim team practiced during the summers but at this time it was closed, the pool drained of its water and a sheet covering it. Hinata blinked rapidly but the light remained. It was a soft, pulsing orange glow that came from where the pool should have been. An orange glow that looked as if it was suspiciously coming from a pumpkin. A carved pumpkin, to be exact.

**SQUAD G, M**

"Hya!" yelled Matsuri as she hit a large 4th year over the head.

The college bound student winced from the impact before staggering up again.

"You little bitch" he muttered, awkwardly swinging the metal weapon in his hand.

Matsuri ducked and grinned. She leaned forwards for a punch when another stick came rushing at her head. She knew she would have no time to avoid it. Not at the angle she was at. Matsuri winced even before the pain came…the pain that didn't exactly come.

"Huh?" she asked.

Gaara was gripping the stick in one hand as he kicked another away.

"Watched your back" he said casually.

Matsuri rolled her eyes and kept fighting. Both groups were sure that the other had a pumpkin but neither group was willing to submit quietly. Gaara was quietly muttering the tune of 'Chop Suey' as he tried to get the large backpacks that the group carried, off. Matsuri had just jumped onto the back of another female and they were both falling. She landed heavily on the enemy's back and pried the bag off.

"AH HAH!" she yelled, running away.

Gaara stopped 'Chop Suey'ing and he took one last glance at the other group, who was confusedly staring at Matsuri's back. Gaara facepalmed and groaned. She was so freaking random. Gaara had known her for pretty much all of his life but he still didn't get her. The redhead continued his rant and raced off, following Matsuri. When he caught up to her she was cackling and running across a grass lawn. The grass lawn that had a large sign saying: DON'T WALK ON THE GRASS. Unfortunately for them, Matsuri had chosen to wear cleats and had chosen to drag them all over the place.

"You could plant an orchard with this" he muttered, running over the plowed span of green and brown.

Matsuri ran straight for the large tree and stopped at the base, huffing. The bag was actually pretty heavy. How the big guys managed to carry it, she didn't know. Gaara soon sidled by her side, not breathing hard at all, and frowned at her.

"Bag?" he asked

"Yes" she replied, swinging the thing onto her back.

She turned around and motioned for Gaara to unzip it and search through. The redhead was trying to get the zipper loose when Matsuri stiffened.

"What?" he asked.

She raised a finger towards the way they had come and whispered,

"That"

Coming towards them, at pretty much godspeed, was the group they had stolen the bag from.

"Oh crap"

**SQUAD S, I, S + SQUAD G, M**

Shikamaru watched from his high perch as he saw the group running towards them. He'd hoped that Sakura and Ino would have been able to stop them but apparently they were occupied. He didn't notice the people at the foot of the tree until they started freaking out.

"LET DOWN THE DAMNED LADDER!" Matsuri shrieked.

Shikamaru blinked as he noticed the two.

"Oh, hello" he said, waving down at them.

"C'MON!" begged Matsuri.

Shikamaru saw the bag at their feet and his eyes brightened.

"Loot?" he said, reaching for the ladder.

His eyes stayed glued to the while his hand searched around. It brushed against the wood and his hand moved to grasp it. It actually closed around thin air as the ladder slipped form the platform and towards the ground.

"Oops" he murmured lazily as he saw the last rung disappear.

Gaara saw it falling and caught it an inch from the ground. He sighed in relief but started running as he saw the group become closer. He propped the ladder up and pushed Matsuri up.

"Hurry up" he said urgently.

Matsuri hauled the heavy bag up but was going at a slow pace.

"Dammit" she cursed.

In a split second decision Matsuri stuck the bag out into thin air and power threw it up to the platform. There was a dulled 'oomph' as the bag landed and Matsuri scrambled up the ladder. Gaara swung up after her and rapidly pulled up the ladder. The group came to a stop at the base of the tree and started hitting it in frustration.

"Poor tree" said Matsuri as she leaned over the edge.

Then Sakura and Ino came, sharp edged from their last battle. The two stopped and stared at the people hitting their tree. Then they got mad and started firing candy at them. Matsuri giggled and lifted her gun over as well. Instead of running, like the girls had hoped, the group fought back and them ran in circles around the tree. Gaara handed Matsuri the ladder and they lowered it for the girls. The two clung on as they were pulled up.

"HAH" yelled Ino, shooting one last kernel.

The group stood around in protest. Since they had no idea when the people were going to leave they turned back to the base. Shikamaru still lay where he had fallen, the heavy bag over him, his head and shoulders over the edge.

"I could have died" he muttered as he hauled himself up.

Ino muttered something along the lines of 'wuss' as they sat up. Gaara smirked as he and Matsuri started dragging the contents of the bag out. From it they pulled: some duck tape, a thing of superglue, half a bag of chips and, strangely, a stuffed duck.

"Sasuke!" cried Sakura, hugging the rear end of the duck.

Ino snatched the duck away and sat it neatly with the rest of the loot.

"No pumpkin" groaned Shikamaru, falling back again.

"Yeah" went Gaara, looking down at the group.

"Still there?" asked Matsuri.

Gaara nodded as he death glared at the group through his ice cold turquoise eyes.

"Here" went Ino as she passed the red head the duck.

Gaara stood up and went to the edge. He took the roll of duck-tape with him and stuck the duck and the tape over the edge so that it hovered over the heads of the enemy. With a malicious glint in his eye Gaara pulled out a length of tape and started mummifying the duck, feet first. The person they had jacked the duck from started yelling and cursing at him. Gaara took no notice and continued binding. Soon, the once fluffy yellow duck was covered in head to tow with silver tape. Gaara was pulling back his arm to throw the animal when Sakura caught his arm. Matsuri took out her rope and let Sakura made a suspiciously professional looking noose out of it.

"That branch over there" drawled Shikamaru.

Sakura took the duck and the rope to the branch and delicately balanced it on a knot. It swung for a moment before coming to a stop.

"Creepy" muttered Ino, shuddering.

The group below was getting madder and were trying to scale the tree…until someone ran at the tree from the opposite side.

**SQUAD N, H, K, A**

_a little while before_

Hinata had told the guys about the strange light and they had tried to get to the building. It was locked from the outside and the four of them were seated outside the doors.

"What do we do now?" asked Naruto from behind the shrub he was hiding behind.

Several groups had become suspicious and were stalking the area.

"I don't know" answered the tree.

Ok, so it was really Kiba but the tree as still speaking. Hinata was crouched behind a power box as she looked behind her.

"Could we climb?"

That was sort of a good idea. The building had small ledges on the back wall that made climbing a little easier. Except that the building was about 18 feet tall. Naruto looked around through his cerulean eyes and spotted the tree in which Kiba and Akamaru were hiding in. It was a tall tree with low branches that made climbing easy. It also made hiding easy at the same time. The tree was right up the wall and would break a fall, should anyone decide to be stupid enough to do anything like that. Naruto grinned as he shot from behind the shrub and into the tree.

"What the hell?" asked Kiba, making room for him.

Naruto ignored him and scaled the tree, finally popping up at the top. He could see Hinata from her spot, looking up at him. The blonde motioned for her to come to the tree. Hinata blinked but she too hid in the tree. Naruto bit his lip as he sized the distance between the building and the tree. The farthest branch that extended was about 3 feet from the building and looked like it would hold them all. Naruto crept out onto it and cautiously made for the building. The only problem was that he was in plain sight. The blonde managed to grip the edge of the building and haul himself over. He smiled in triumph and waved the other over. Kiba was wearing a 'what crack were you sniffing?' look but he ushered Akamaru along. It was then that a person noticed them. The other humans might have been able to make it across, dressed in dark clothes, but Akamaru's white fur shone bright in the moonlight.

"Crap" muttered Kiba as he jumped for the edge.

Kiba landed safely and just barely avoided getting hit by a flying thing. Once it landed and exploded they all discovered that it was a water balloon. Hinata froze up on the other side.

"Hinata!" said Naruto.

The Hyuuga heiress started breathing faster and looked as if she wasn't going to be able to make it. Naruto swiftly ran across and grabbed her hand, dragging her across. Just before they got to the safety of the roof a water balloon exploded across his chest. Hinata yelped but Naruto just laughed as he took off his jacket before anything got to wet.

"S-sorry" stuttered Hinata as she reached forwards to help him.

Naruto shook his hair and water flew. Akamaru barked while Kiba held him down.

"The light?" he asked.

"A-at the pool" Hinata answered, shaking out Naruto's jacket.

Hinata handed Naruto back the damp clothing before they all turned to the pool. Their faces broke out in wide smiles. There indeed was a pumpkin there.

"WOOT" yelled Naruto, waving his jacket.

Kiba ran over to it, only to find the vegetable in a cage linked to the railing around the roof by an iron chain.

"Medieval crap!" said Kiba as he yanked hard.

The chain didn't move but it did rattle loudly. They all tried ways to get it off, even using Akamaru once. After minutes of yanking, pulling, kicking, and punching they gave up.

"Noooooo" groaned Naruto, rolling around on the floor.

There was a moment of silence when Kiba looked up abruptly.

"Hammer" he said.

"What?" replied Hinata, reaching out to pet Akamaru.

"There should be a hammer in a janitorial closet."

"They're locked" said Naruto in a deft voice.

Kiba smirked and reached into his back pocket.

"Shikamaru let me have a copy of the key that unlocks all the closets." He explained, drawing out the silver key "He thinks they're like super stores or something."

They broke into the building form the roof door and quickly found a tiny closet tucked into the side of a hallway. Inside, it really was like a store. Sports equipment, mops, dusters, and anything else you might was inside. There also was the hammer Kiba was looking for, not to mention pruning shears and the like.

"Cool!" breather Naruto, grabbing a clipper.

With the combined power of the clippers and hammer the chain came free and they dragged the pumpkin box to them. It just happened to be the same time that the group, a bunch of kids who exercised at the center, climbed over the railing.

"PUMPKIN!" one yelled, pointing.

"ACK!" yelled Naruto grabbing the box and running.

Hinata was still holding onto the chain and she found herself being dragged to the tree once more. She literally flew into its branches, Kiba and Akamaru soon after her. The squad scrambled down, only to be ambushed by other groups.

"lalalalalalala" sang Naruto, weaving his way through the people.

_ Present time_

They reached the tree to find some other group on the other side.

"Crap!" said Kiba grabbing the box.

"LADDER!" called Naruto.

A ladder descended surprisingly fast and they climbed up. Naruto, who was the last, came face to face with a voo doo mummy and he screamed in a very girly way.

"!" he shrieked, rolling onto the platform.

Sakura pushed him away from where he had hidden behind her.

"It s duck" she explained.

"A duck?" asked Hinata.

"Yes, a duck"

"Duck"

"Yeah"

"You hung a duck"

"Uh huh"

"A mummy duck"

"Yeah"

"Yeah"

**SQUAD N, T, S**

Tenten jumped up as more bowling balls came her way. The white-outed balls were coming at high-speed in surprisingly large amounts.

"Where'd they get all of these?" she yelled, moving to avoid a group of them

Neji ducked as one flew clear over his head.

"Don't know!" he replied.

Next to him Sasuke was jumping around as well. He flipped onto the railing and ducked. Another ball nearly cut off his fingers as he swerved out of its way.

"Crazy" he muttered, making it to the second landing.

Neji and Tenten quickly followed, only to be met by another wave. The only thing was that there was no one there. Neji peered closer and saw that there was a thin line that lifted up from the floor. He defined it as one of those little train track things that kids play with. The bowling balls neatly rolled along the tracks then dropped off down the stairs.

"Cool" said Tenten as she jumped up the stairs.

Someone must have heard then coming because several in a long line came crashing towards them.

"NOnononononono" cried Neji as he hopped.

More and more balls came at them until; with slow progress they made it up to the side of the track.

"HAH!" shouted Sasuke as he pointed at the hooded figures that were trying to haul another ball onto the tracks.

The group of three heard something along the lines of 'shit' as the people turned. When they faced the squad again they were holding something in their fists. Tenten peered through the darkness only to find something strike her forehead. One of them had dangerously good aim. Tenten fell backwards and winced. A large bruise was starting to form as she sat up.

"You okay?" Neji asked his voice laced with worry.

Sasuke bent over and picked up what they had thrown. It was a baseball and he handed it to the brunette.

"Ouch" he commented.

Tenten shook her head and gingerly poked the bruise.

"Yeah, ouch"

Then with a determined look on her head she pulled out the marshmallow gun and fired randomly into the dark. Even without seeing, Neji and Sasuke knew that Tenten had hit. Cries of pain echoed as more baseballs shot towards them.

"Run!" yelled Tenten as she turned and ran as fast as she could.

The sound of pounding feet was close behind the trio as golf balls, soccer balls, basketballs, and tennis balls flew into the air. Sasuke tripped over a football and had to get dragged by Neji for most of the way to the second floor. Then they forgot about the fake blood and they slid down to the first floor. Sasuke crawled up from the pile they had landed in to see the other people sliding their way.

"Move it!"

Neji tugged the two on his squad away just in time. They stood in an awkward position, Neji holding Tenten and Sasuke by their hoods so that they were about an inch off the ground.

"Uh, you can let go now" Tenten muttered.

Neji promptly let go and the two fell. At the same time the other group got up and fired more golf balls.

"Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow" groaned Neji as they searched for a way to escape.

Their first choice would have been the main entrance but about 6 people were blocking it.

"Where are the pumpkins?" one asked.

"Up you ass and around the corne-" shot back Tenten as she got pelted.

Sasuke pulled her away towards the nearest door. Neji jiggled the handle but it was locked. He kept pulling at it while the other two got pelted with more ammo.

"Chainsaw!" he said.

Tenten turned around and swiftly undid the straps of the chainsaw. Pushing Neji out of the way, she took to the job of sawing off the side. They burst into the room and closed the door behind them. A final bowling ball crashed with the door as they closed it. With a sigh of relief the three collapsed on the floor.

"What a pain" groaned Sasuke.

Tenten shrugged and looked around. Then she froze.

"Uh, Guys" she said.

"Yeah?"

"I think we just broke into Tsunade's office."

**SQUAD G, M + SQUAD S, I, S + SQUAD N, H, K, A**

Naruto sighed and leaned back to view his work. He had written 'Sasuke' all over the mummified duck.

"What do we do now?" he asked, turning to the others.

Sakura, Matsuri, Gaara, Ino, and Kiba were ferociously attacking the cage box with hammers and any other metal appliances they could find.

"Why do they have to make these things break-proof?" whined Ino as she slammed a rock against it.

Kiba shrugged. He was using the hammer and the clipped to get the bars off.

"I…dunno" he grunted.

After one final war cry the cage fell apart in pieces and they retrieved the pumpkin inside. It was a tiny plastic one, lit from the inside with a battery-powered light.

"Pretty" cooed Naruto, coming over to look.

"This is what we're supposed to get?" asked Matsuri turning the pumpkin around.

The orange thing grinned up at them and Shikamaru took it into his hands.

"We should hide it" Gaara suggested.

After a bit of fighting it was decided that the pumpkin would be hidden on top of the base, hidden by the leaves.

"Wouldn't that make it easier to spot?" asked Sakura.

Hinata shook her head.

"We can just cover it for now. It won't matter if they can't get up in the first place."

Shikamaru stuck up in the branches and made a little bush of leaves around it.

"And that's it" he said, climbing down.

Then the groups split off again, in search of more pumpkins.

"An hour and a half!" reminded the pineapple headed genius.

**ANNOUNCEMENTS DISCLAIMER STUFF**

**I think the story is dying. No really. Its not that I'm on writers block but I think that it in general is dying. WHAT DO I DO? Argh. Does anyone know how to revive a story? Anyone?**

**Oh, I think its about time I did a disclaimer. XD**

**I do not own Naruto and/or Naruto Shippuden in any way or form. I also do not own and/or have read If At Possible Involve a Cow: The Book of College Pranks, which is actually a real book. I don't own marshmallow guns either or Hatsune Miku. listening to her while typing: Tsumugi Uta (Append Dark)**

**REVIEW**

**Out.**


	19. P2 Why, hello

19:46

**Sorry for the late update. Lack of internet and other stuff.**

**Thanks to: Katarina Wolffe, Red ChopSticks, MoonKrystal, eakoandcompany, bright-rebellious, sakura21, Queen Nami, and storyaddicted.**

**You guys are the best. No, really. Sigh, thanks for keeping up this long into the story. Hope you stay until the end which may not come for a while**

**Lawl.**

**SQUAD N, T, S**

So they had really broken into Tsunade's office.

"She's gonna be pissed" said Sasuke. "Really pissed"

Tenten sat in a chair and looked skeptically at the many bottles of sake.

"I doubt she'll find out soon"

Neji smirked and went over to the desk. It was littered with papers and food. A laptop was set up in the middle and Neji proceeded to power it up.

"Are you crazy?" asked Tenten.

Neji shrugged.

"It's a Halloween prank" he said.

He typed away on the board and Tenten and Sasuke came to look. He'd gone to preferences and was creating a whole knew screen from scratch. They watched as Neji flew through colors and graphics. He eventually ended up with a pitch-black screen with the words HAPPY HALLOWEEN SUCKERS in the middle in bright orange and yellow. Around this, bolded letters spelling out LOL appeared around the screen at random intervals, once being accompanied with a huge pumpkin. The background was a large badger doing an animated dance.

"Is that all?" Tenten asked.

Neji grinned and shook his head. The advantage of being loaded was actually good sometimes. He took off his backpack and pulled out some stuff. Instead of being packed with weapons and ammo there were five things of aluminum foil.

"Whoa" breathed Sasuke, taking hold of one of the rolls.

He then slung his bag to the front and pulled out Saran wrap.

"Shinier" said Tenten, grabbing rolls of both.

Neji instructed them to cover as much area as they could. Sasuke started on the shelves, neatly wrapping the books in sets of 10 while Tenten started on the floor. It was a good thing that the office wasn't too large or else the foil and the wrap wouldn't have lasted. Neji was struggling to get some of the stuff around one of the legs of the desk when Tenten crowed in triumph. She had finish foiling and wrapping the floor, walls, and ceiling. The brunette sat down on her work, rummaged through her bag and came up with some candy corn. She popped one into her mouth and threw the bag to Sasuke, who caught it. He had finished the shelves and had moved on to a chair. He grabbed a handful of candy and passed it to Neji. Neji took the bag as he started on the large globe in the corner. The globe was the last of the things to be done when Tenten jumped.

"We forgot the fridge!" she said.

"Fridge?" asked Sasuke.

Tenten went over to the little cabinet in which the fridge was and nodded.

"Tsunade keeps all her sake there doesn't she?"

Neji shrugged and Sasuke handed her a roll of duck tape.

"Just bind it."

Tenten smiled and opened the door. She had to make sure they was something inside. Inside there really was a lot of sake. White bottles filled every single surface, including the shelves on the door.

"Damn" went Tenten, leaning in the get a better look.

Then she saw it.

"%!*$(^~PUMPKIN!"

**SQUAD N, H, K, A + SQUAD N, T, S**

The group of four was running past the main building when they spotted a bunch of people at the door. A lot more were crowded inside, and they seemed to be back up at a door.

"Think it's a pumpkin?" asked Kiba.

"Arf" agreed Akamaru.

Naruto shrugged but they went to the building. The people really were pounding at a door.

"OPEN!" one guy yelled.

"NEVAAR!" replied a familiar voice.

After that the crowd started attacking the door, which looked half dead anyway.

"Shit!" screamed a voice from the other side of the door.

The door collapsed and Kiba, Naruto, Hinata, and Akamaru were pulled forwards in the surge. What they saw was not what they had been expecting. The entire room was alight in silver. The desks, walls, chairs, shelves, everything was covered in neat aluminum foil. After a moment they realized that Saran wrap had been added to make an extra shine. At the desk Tsunade's computer flashed a happy message.

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN SUCKERS LOL LOL LOL"

The badger was in the middle of doing a sweeping pirouette when it fell on it's face. Some people resisted the urge to laugh but were stopped short by the sign on the door to the fridge.

It read _'OPEN ME'_ in a loopy script. A fat senior ambled forwards and jerked the door open. There was a crash as a whole bunch of sake bottles came rushing forwards. There was cursing and the smell of alcohol soon filled the room. Hinata coughed and pointed to the floor. There was a slip of paper and there was writing on it.

'_Too late' _

It was in the same loopy pen and had a bunch of 'XD's after it. Kiba shook his head and grinned.

"They made it out, right Naruto?"

There was no answer.

"Naruto-kun?" asked Hinata looking for their blonde friend.

The Uzumaki was nowhere to be seen and Kiba and Hinata rushed out. About 18 yards away Naruto was running away with what looked like Neji, Tenten and Sasuke.

"TRAITOR!" roared Kiba, running after them.

"No! Kiba-kun!" called Hinata.

It was too late. The other people had heard and were following after them at godspeed.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" screamed Sasuke, jumping about five feet in the air.

Another group heard the noise and they followed, appearing abruptly in their path.

"TURN AROUND" screeched Tenten.

The group of 4 turned at a weird angle and cut across the grass. Kiba and Hinata caught up to them and started running.

"WHERE IS IT?" asked Kiba.

"Tenten!" replied Neji.

Tenten was indeed clutching a pumpkin to her chest. She hadn't had time to put it away and she passed it to Naruto just as another arm reached for it. Naruto caught it and ran in another direction. Everyone swerved again and was now headed for the sports center. Naruto jumped over a bench and accidentally scissor kicked a freshman.

"GOMEN!" he yelled behind him.

He then passed the glowing orange ball to a surprised Hinata, who caught it after a moment's hesitation. She too had other ideas and changed direction. She ran straight for the tree with her team and at least 75% of the school following behind them.

**SQUAD G, M + SQUAD N, T, S + SQUAD N, H, K, A + SQUAD S, I, S + THE ENEMY**

Gaara and Matsuri had been scouting the tennis courts when they heard yelling.

"What the hell is that?" asked Matsuri.

Gaara leaned forwards and narrowed his eyes. It was a freakin huge throng of people moving at the same pace. In the front he would just barely make out his teammates.

"They're at it again"

At that moment the group they had been hiding from ran right past them and made a beeline for the crowd. Gaara and Matsuri took one look at each other, and then they sprinted after them. The two caught up to Hinata, who was up front, just as she was bitch slapping a girl in the head. She was still clutching the pumpkin as she started a practiced chain of cuts and kicks. Before long there was a small circle around her.

"TRY HARDER ASSTARDS!" she yelled, dropkicking someone.

Tenten blinked and put a hand to her chin.

"No Haruka this time" she said.

"What?" Kiba, Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji asked.

Tenten was going to answer when someone slipped in and knocked the female Hyuuga's arm.

"Ah!" she cried as the pumpkin went flying.

Gaara dive rolled forwards and caught the pumpkin as he came up. He started running in the same direction Hinata was headed as Matsuri pulled the Hyuuga up.

"Gaara!" said Tenten, running to his side.

Gaara nodded once and he went in one direction while the rest of his group went in the other. Sasuke ran forwards and called to Shikamaru, who was leaning over the side.

"Ladder?" he asked.

Ino and Sakura lowered the ladder and they tried climbing up as fast as they could. Other people latched on until Gaara returned. He power-threw the orange ball and it hit Ino square in the head.

"Don't break it!" yelled Matsuri.

Meanwhile Haruka was beating off the enemy with Hinata coming in to correct her wrong moves.

"Nope" said Hinata.

"What?" whined Haruka.

"You were supposed to twist then kick" reminded Hinata.

Haruka blinked.

"Oh yeah!"

Next to Hinata/Haruka Tenten had retrieved her chainsaw and was swinging it around.

"Careful about Chi!" called Sakura.

"Who's Chi?" asked Neji as he fisted a student.

"The chainsaw" said the pinkette.

"" yelled Tenten as she decapitated a bush.

"" responded Naruto.

For a guy as spazzy as he was, the blonde was doing fairly well.

CRASH

The ladder fell on top of Sasuke and Gaara. The two struggled out from under it as Shikamaru, Ino, and Sakura jumped from the top. Sakura pulled Sasuke up as she grabbed for her gun. She filled it up and fired. Her aim wasn't as good as Tenten's but she managed to hit some people. Ino had run out of ammo and she and Shikamaru were fighting side by side. The two childhood friends had played 'War' ever since they were little. The kids in their neighborhood were creepily violent and the two with another friend, Choji, had always made up a team.

"Kalbi Beef!" yelled Shikamaru.

Ino grinned as she covered for her friend. Her kicks reached head height and knocked out several people. 'Kalbi Beef' was their code word for taking it to the next level. If the fight got even worse there would be 'Full Course'. Shikamaru punched out to the side. In a few seconds time he called out:

"FULL COURSE"

Most people around them had no clue what the hell was going on but Ino fought harder. Tenten had exchanged Chi for a long metal rod. She and Neji were backed up at the base of the tree. Neji was jumping to keep from tripping on the rungs of the fallen ladder and to keep his feet from being chopped off by Tenten's rampage.

"HAH!" she yelled.

Neji smiled crookedly as he looked at her. Her hair was starting to become loose but she was laughing. It was a pretty tinkling sound.

"Neji!" someone called.

Neji whirled to see Naruto. The blonde was sweating heavily as he fought towards his friend.

"Hinata!" he said, breathing heavily.

Naruto kicked someone.

"Where?" asked Neji.

He shoved a girl out of the way and spotted Hinata. She was fighting recklessly, her hair flying.

"What's up with her?" asked Matsuri as she fought a male at least twice her size.

"I don't know!" cried Naruto.

"Haruka?" wondered Gaara.

"Who's Haruka?" asked Neji in a frustrated voice.

"Her Inner!" replied Sakura.

"Inner?" said Sasuke.

"Why do you have so many questions?" roared the pinkette.

"Oh no" muttered Ino. "Here comes Inner Sakura."

But Inner Sakura didn't come. Sakura pushed her down but whirled as Shikamaru's strangled voice pierced the air.

"FAT!" he yelled.

Ino froze. Fat. That was the final and last resort. It was the word that finished everything.

"Choji" she whispered.

Neji, Hinata, Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, and Matsuri froze as well. Even if they didn't know about the code word they knew that the word was taboo to Choji. Ino's eyes teared up as she looked down, only moving to punch a guy at her side. The crowd parted to reveal Shikamaru, his eyes wide and eyebrows knit in confusion.

"Asuma-sensei" Ino said to him.

Shikamaru took her hand and pulled her away. He turned back just as Tenten came to join their circle.

"I should take Ino out. She needs to get it together"

The other but Sakura and Tenten nodded mutely.

"Who's Choji?" the brunette asked.

"And Asuma-sensei?" added Sakura.

Sasuke winced. The fight wasn't over but had thinned out a bit. They had to talk and fight at the same time as they stayed as close as possible.

"Choji" the Uchiha started. "A really fat guy"

"That explains lot" muttered Tenten poking people with her stick.

Neji continued from her side.

"He was Shikamaru's and Ino's childhood friend. They used to be really close. Asuma was their teacher at the dojo."

"Used to be?" asked Tenten.

"Was their teacher?" said Sakura.

That caused Gaara to wince too.

"They…" he started, hoping to say it quickly.

"…aren't with us anymore" finished Matsuri.

Tenten and Sakura still wore confused looks.

"Did they have to leave the school?" Sakura asked.

Hinata had morphed back into herself and she fought to the girls' side.

"No" she said softly. "Did you hear about the accident a couple of years ago?"

"No…they…" Tenten breathed.

So she had heard about the accident. It was probably the largest one of the year. A train track that was built over a busy and slightly dangerous high way had collapsed from the yearly rains. The river below the highway and tracks had flooded and a train had flipped onto the highway. 4 cars were crushed, all passengers dead when found. One car had swerved onto the riverbank. It had flipped from a 35 feet road in the air. There were three children and one adult in the car. One child and the adult had died in the hospital that same night.

"That was Choji and Asuma?" said Sakura.

Hinata nodded, twirling.

"Fat was his taboo word." She explained.

"He'd always blow up if you ever said anything related to it" Neji smirked.

"Oh" murmured Tenten.

"But we got over it after awhile" said Naruto. "It's just Ino and Shikamaru who haven't"

"Yeah" mused Matsuri. "It's gotta be hard for them."

"Probably" snorted Sasuke.

The fighting had resumed at full power and they had no more time to talk. Tenten took out Chi again while Haruka took over Hinata. Everything was going on as usual when two more cries pierced the air.

"KYUUUUBIIIIIIIIII!"

"SHANNARO! 

**SQUAD S, I**

Shikamaru had led his friend away from the battle. Fat. He never should have said that. Ino was quiet the entire time and he led her to a bench on the far side of the school. She sat down silently and folded her hands in her lap. She knew it was foolish to still be upset from something that had happened over 5 years ago.

"Ino?" asked Shikamaru.

Ino looked up and the Nara saw that her pale blue eyes were filled with tears.

"I still don't get why I can't get over it" she said, her voice shaking a little.

Ino knew that their deaths had probably impacted Shikamaru the most. He was the closest to Asuma sensei and Choji. She was just a little way off. Ino wiped a hand over her eyes.

"Why Shika-kun?" she asked, using the nickname she had made for him when they were kids.

Shikamaru's eyes softened. He too was still unable to let them go. Ino was the one who had tried to save them. She had tried to stop the blood and keep them conscious. By the time the police came they found a soaking dark haired boy gripping a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. The girl by his side was also wet, her arms and shirt covered in blood. Ino had used her jacket to staunch the blood. Shikamaru knew for a fact that she still kept the bloodstained sweater somewhere. He breathed and leaned back.

"The four of us" he said, looking up.

Ino breathed too and let a small smile grace her lips.

"The four of us"

By the time they time they got to the tree they found mass destruction.

"What the hell happened?" Ino asked, running forwards.

Tenten wiped the sweat off her forehead. She had a cut on her cheek that was leaking blood.

"Kyuubi and Inner Sakura got loose at the same time. And Hinata went Hyuuga style" she said, grinning like a maniac.

The brunette was still pumped up. She herself had nailed several people to the trees nearby. Shikamaru looked around and there were at least two people on each tree. They were all hung by their hoods.

"Isn't that going a bit to far?" he drawled.

Tenten snorted.

"Look at Kyuubi-yan, Hina and Saku over there."

Sakura was observing the several craters she had created while Gaara, Neji, and Sasuke were trying to hold down Naruto.

"WCQRIYBV AWCXLUNG BYIVNNEWVPT!#(2b751-2'b4`"

Shikamaru face palmed and went to help the guys. Hinata was trying to get Naruto to calm down while blushing all the while.

"N-naruto-kun!" she yelled, grabbing for an arm.

Naruto swiped it away, then froze.

"Wait…Hinata?" he asked.

Hinata nodded. Everyone calmed down, hoping that Hinata would be able to stop Kyuubi's rampage.

"P-please. Calm down a little" she said.

Naruto started blinking rapidly. He turned to the female Hyuuga and smiled.

"I think I'll be- RAAWWRR"

Hinata jumped away as Kyuubi came out once more. Ino wiped the blood off of Tenten's face and slapped on a Band-aid.

"Is Haruka gone?" she asked.

Tenten nodded.

"Chi's still safe and we just got Shukaku put away."

Ino blinked in surprise.

"I thought Shukaku was gone" she said worriedly.

Matsuri and Hinata came up from behind them.

"Shu isn't exactly here but if we weren't careful it might have surfaced" Matsuri said.

"Yes" said Hinata, her face twisting.

"You all right?" questioned Sakura.

The pinkette ran a hand over her knuckles and picked off a bit of stray skin. Only one scratch marked her hands.

"Haruka" Hinata said.

"Is here" Haruka replied.

"NO" growled Hinata in a very un-Hinata-like way.

Haruka was pushed under and Hinata started smiling.

"Lalala" she sang, spinning away.

"Uh" laughed Tenten. "Is she alright?"

"Probably the after effects of Haruka" assured Ino.

After Kyuubi had been satisfied with a huge loot of candy he let Naruto come back.

"Crazy little….ARGGHE" he yelled, sitting on the floor and gripping his head.

Sasuke patted him on the head and shrugged.

"Kyuubi-san" he said.

The enemies had retreated and were sending over small groups to free their teammates from Tenten's death grips.

"Just let them go" said Neji. "It's almost over so it won't matte-"

**FLA BOOM**

The main gates to the school flew open and the students of KBA who had assembled for the final moments of their war froze. A small cloud of dust settled to reveal …a skinny pale man. No, woman. Wait…or was it a man? Behind him a large group of teens stood dressed in their school uniforms. A silver musical note was emblazoned on the deep purple blazer worn over a black skirt/pants.

"Man" drawled Shikamaru.

Tenten looked at him in horror.

"No way! Woman"

"Man."

"Woman"

"Man"

"Woman"

"Man"

"Wo-"

"Oto" cut in Sasuke.

"What?" asked Sakura.

"Konoha's rival school" explained Neji. "For about 50 years.

Hinata nodded.

"Ever since Tsunade became headmistress here and that…" the girl trailed off, at loss for words.

"Guy" supplied Naruto.

Hinata jumped a little but continued.

"Yes, well, that guy became headmaster at Oto"

"Uh huh" mused Matsuri.

The 'guy' at front marched forwards, slithering in a snakelike way. As he slid forwards he spotted Sasuke and winked. The Uchiha, momentarily disgusted, hid behind Gaara and glared.

"OROCHIMARU!" came a loud female voice.

Everyone whirled to see…nothing.

"Up there!" someone yelled.

Up on the main building stood Tsunade, her pale green over garment flapping in the wind. Her blonde pigtails swayed as she raised her head and looked down on the group who had infiltrated her school. One had was on her hip while the other gripped a megaphone.

"Whoa!" breathed Naruto. "Baa-chan looks cool!"

Sakura hit him roughly on the head.

"Don't call her baa-chan" the pinkette scolded.

The man, identified as Orochimaru, smirked.

"It's been a while, no Tsunade?"

Tsunade grinned in return.

"8 years since you last stormed my school" she replied.

"Well the war starts again" Orochimaru said.

Tsunade was strangely sober as she shook her head.

"There never was one to begin with" she reminded him.

Orochimaru grinned creepily. He knew Tsunade. He knew her well.

"Fine then" he started. "If Oto wins you give us a years fund. If Konoha manages to win then we'll give up a year's fund and sake money. Deal?"

All of KBA's student slowly turned to their headmistress. Sake money and a year's fund. Up on her perch, Tsunade was twitching nervously. Many of her students wore _'so-what-are-you-going-to-do?'_ looks while others had _'you-know-you-suck-at-gambling'_ written across their faces. A bead of sweat started forming on her forehead until she shook it away. When she looked up her amber eyes were blazing.

"DEAL!" she called.

Silence.

No one moved over either side and Tsunade sighed. She knelt as if to jump and was out in the air in less than a second.

"ACK!" yelled Naruto, running in circles "Tsunade baa-chan! She's gonna die!"

Naruto ran for the base of the building, only to be squashed as Tsunade landed in the same knelt position she had started with. She marched to the front and pointed towards the other group of student.

"GET GOING!" she yelled into her megaphone.

Everyone's hair flew back from the impact of the noise. Then the Oto students parted. Before Konoha knew what was happening, smoke filled the outside area.

"Smoke machines?" yelled Naruto.

"No fair!" added Matsuri, hacking at the air.

There was confusion until sounds of punches concluded that Oto was attacking. IB and AD were at the sides of the crowd and ran or a bit of air that wasn't covered in smoke.

"To the base" Shikamaru yelled.

Everyone sprinted for the tree and avoided getting caught by some people.

"No ladder!" reminded Ino.

Gaara cursed and he pulled Matsuri towards a closet. Naruto was trying to scale the tree while Shikamaru had taken some keys to another closet. He called for Sasuke and Tenten to help him with the stuff while Neji, Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba stood guard.

"This is going over three hours right?" asked Sakura.

"Obviously" scoffed Kiba, scanning the area "Hinata, Neji, do you see anyone?"

Both Hyuugas looked but saw nothing. Most of the smoke had cleared and sounds of fighting filled the air.

"We…we're getting aizened" whispered Ino.

"getting pwned to the point of oblivion" added Sakura at the guys' confused looks.

"Or getting pwned so much you don't notice until several seconds after" mused Hinata, still on watch.

Naruto jumped down from where he was.

"Can't get to the branch!" he said, panting.

Then Gaara and Matsuri came dragging another ladder.

"The only one we could find" said Gaara "All the other ones were empty"

Neji nodded as he set up the ladder. They all climbed up and from there they could fully see the battle.

"Holy shiess!" gasped Sakura.

Konoha was indeed getting aizened. Many of the students were down while the ones left standing were getting beat.

"Are the schools allowed to do this?" whispered Hinata.

Gaara nodded.

"We're private schools so we don't have anything to do with the government. And at this scale I don't think the police can do anything."

"At least its not the teachers" sighed Neji.

**POW**

There was a loud thock as Tsunade landed a punch on a huge student.

"HEY!" yelled Naruto, pointing "THAT'S THE IDIOT WHO KIDNAPPED ME!"

The kidnapper was a tall guy with silvery purple hair. It fell over his shoulders and face in a light sheen.

"Er…" Ino commented "Pretty?"

Meanwhile, Sasuke, Neji and Gaara were looking for their captors. They didn't find them. Naruto giggled while Tsunade fought towards Orochimaru, her eyes blazing.

"I think she's enjoying this more than us" said Sakura.

Then, out of nowhere, Kakashi, Anko, Jiraiya, and Kurenai popped up. Jiraiya looked serious as he headed towards Tsunade and Orochimaru. Orochimaru smiled at the white haired man. The other teachers just stood around in the middle. Apparently the students at Oto hadn't found the Konoha students satisfactory so they headed for the teachers. Anko stuck out her tongue and started cackling madly. The students charged her and before long she had a swarming group of people around her.

"Anko" said Kurenai.

Yells and war cries were the only responses. Kakashi grinned and looked over to the long haired teacher.

"Are you going to join?" he asked.

"I don't really…" she trailed off.

Kurenai wasn't one to fight much. Not since Asuma had died in the car accident. Then a blonde female student from Oto attacked her and Kurenai fell into battle stance. She was acting on natural reflexes and was soon engulfed. Kakashi's eyes curved into crescents as he pulled out a volume of Icha Icha Paradise. He started walking forwards as he read, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"HEY!" yelled a student from Oto "WHERE ARE YOU GOING OLD MAN?"

Kakashi raised a hand behind him.

"I'm going to find the meaning of life" he drawled.

There was a slight pause before the remaining students launched themselves at the silver haired teacher. Kakashi kept walking, deflecting people as he read. Once in a while he would laugh at a joke from the book.

"HOW DOES HE DO THAT?" they asked, calling more students to help them.

Kakashi still took no notice and kept walking and reading. From up on their perch in the tree Naruto, Neji, Gaara, Matsuri, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata stared with their mouths open.

"Kakashi-sensei" said Naruto, his eyes wide in awe.

"There not even touching him" said Sakura, leaning to look closer.

"YO!"

They looked down to see Tenten, Shikamaru, and Sasuke loaded with stuff.

"Help us!" cried Tenten.

Tenten, Shikamaru, and Sasuke were helped up by the others and thy collapsed on the floor. Sasuke dumped the bucket he was holding and Tenten and Shikamaru dumped them in suit. They held: water balloons, ketchup, lemon juice, hot sauce, and lollipops.

"Uh" went Ino.

Tenten sat up suddenly.

"Cafeteria" she explained.

"And lemon juice stings" added Shikamaru.

Then Sasuke passed out the water balloons and let the others fill them. The ketchup was particularly messy but the lemon juice and hot sauce were easy.

"Tabasco" mused Naruto, taking a sip.

His cerulean eyes widened and he spit the hot sauce over the side of the base.

"Oh gross" muttered Matsuri.

Naruto turned back, wiping his mouth.

"Tabasco" he said again.

"AH!" Sakura yelled.

A white dart like thing had flown at her head, missing it by a few inches. They all looked down to see a bald guy with Naruto's spit all over his head.

"Hehehe?" Naruto said.

Dozens of darts flew through the air, lodging themselves in the tree trunk. Neji and Shikamaru pulled the green material over the base but the darts made holes in the fabric. Tenten sat cross legged at one end and after a moments contemplation she whirled a water balloon at the bald guy. It exploded on impact and the lemon juice squirt all over the place. The guy screamed in pain as the juice got into his eyes. He ran away, deftly running into a nearby tree. This called attention to the base and more missiles came their way.

"EEK!" cried Ino as a dart full of bugs exploded at her feet.

"ABANDON BASE!" yelled Sasuke.

The 11 of them jumped out into thin air. Neji, Sasuke, Gaara and Shikamaru landed first with Naruto close behind. The girls managed to flip down once they were clear and they scattered. With no plan the group was completely confused. Tenten ran in a random direction. That was where her mind had told her to go. She saw a dart hit the ground next to her and she ran faster. As she ran she pulled out a water gun and loaded it with hot sauce. She didn't look behind her as she fired but she knew she had hit, due to the screams that followed. After a while she noticed that she was racing down the main road that led to the main building. She looked around wildly, hoping to find a recognizable face but in stead she was met by another group of Oto students.

"SHIT!" she yelled, firing hot sauce at them.

These student were a bit more intelligent and they managed to not get the stuff in their eyes. Tenten was cornered in the middle of the quad when a hand pulled her behind a bush. She frowned and twisted, prepared to drop kick who ever had done it. She opened her mouth when a hand clamped down over it.

"Shut it!" hissed Neji. "They're still there"

Tenten glared at the pale Hyuuga until her let go. The other students had left and were prowling the area.

"Hurry. Get to that tree over there"

Tenten sighed and crouched low, prepared to run. She and Neji made a break for it at the same time. A stray Oto who was lagging behind caught sight of them and yelled.

"RUN!" shouted Tenten.

She and Neji run as quickly as they possibly could. They skidded around a corner. Tenten saw a tip of a door and she jerked it open. Pulling Neji in, they managed to avoid the Oto people. They could here the pounding footsteps grow further away. With a sigh they both relaxed. Tenten and Neji sat on the floor of the room. Well, it was more of a closet. A really tiny closet. The only way that the two of them could sit somewhat comfortably was to lean back to back against each other. Neji could feel Tenten's chest rise and fall as could Tenten.

"I wonder what Sasuke's doing…" murmured Tenten.

Neji sighed. He hoped that the stupid Uchiha would have managed not to get kidnapped like they had.

"He probably found another team." Neji assured.

"Maybe" replied Tenten.

Tenten's eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness and she could see that the closet only had a huge stack of papers in it. She reached out to pull one out. Some were aged while others were bright white. The brunette tucked her knees to her chin to make room for the paper. It was a fairly old one.

Now that she looked closer there were cut outs of a newspaper pasted on. There was a large picture in the middle. Tenten barely recognized the people but she caught a name in the headline.

"Neji…" she said. "Who's Kryptic Remorse?"

Neji blinked in the darkness. He pulled out his phone and shined the light towards the girl behind him.

"Pass it" he said.

Tenten strained her arm back so that it reached Neji. He took it and looked at the picture.

"Whoa" he said.

"What?" asked Tenten.

Kryptic Remorse was obviously from KBA but it was a band she hadn't heard of.

"They're a pretty old band" Neji mused, smirking. "Read the article."

Tenten rolled her eyes as they passed the paper back and forth. Most of the article focused on a huge concert KR had had around that time. The songs, lighting, music, and reception. At the very end a little biography of the band followed.

'Kryptic Remorse is a band contracted to Konoha Sennin Records. They focus on rock, heavy metal, and trance music. The band consists of Tsunade as their female singer, Jiraiya as their bass and electric player, and Orochimaru as their key boardist.'

"Tsunade and Jiraiya?" asked Tenten.

The picture had them in band clothes. Ok, so it was different from what normal people would where. Tsunade was in a loose pale green and magenta top with short shorts and fishnets under it all. She had fingerless gloves that reached her elbows and her blonde hair was half up in a ponytail. Jiraiya was in a white band shirt with red and green designs all over it. He wore paint splattered jeans below and he too had fingerless gloves but on only one hand. The final member appeared to be a more human like version of Orochimaru. He too was in a white band shirt with a black jacket over it. It was plain except for a purple and silver snake crawling up the side. He wore dark, nearly black, jeans that were ripped in some areas.

"Orochimaru?" Tenten asked again.

Neji leaned over until he was looking over the brunettes shoulder.

"Yeah" he said softly. "They, besides Akatsuki, are probably KBA's most famous band."

Tenten blinked slowly.

"So why is Orochimaru attacking us?"

Neji sighed. He looked at their picture once more.

"To anyone else it might look like two friends having a friendly argument." He started. "But the band broke up 2 years after this."

He reached over and pointed to the date of the concert.

"Oh?" said Tenten.

"Yeah. So something happened. When the papers came out with the news no one knew what the reason was"

"And they still don't?"

Neji nodded.

"They don't but an attack happened a few years ago, when Itachi was about to leave the school. It was really big scale then"

Tenten turned to look at Neji and couldn't help but blushing. Their faces were only an inch or two apart.

"Um" she said.

Neji's eyes softened and he smirked quietly.

"Hn?"

Tenten looked straight ahead and didn't move until she felt him move back. They leaned back to back for a while, the light of the cell phone illuminating the room. Tenten was frowning to the darkness, as was Neji.

'_Wait…'_ thought Tenten _' what the hell just happened. Why the hell was I blushing? If this is you inner I'm gonna strangle you'_

'_Shit'_ went through Neji's head_. 'Why did I just do what I did? I don't have…what do they call it…an inner do I? No way…maybe I ate too much candy corn…'_

"Hmph" they both went at the same time.

Silence.

"Neji?" Tenten asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"Hn?" came his deep voice.

"Neji…I"

Neji stiffened.

"I-I"

Tenten grinned sheepishly as she said the next line.

"Neji, I really want to punch someone right now"

**MEANWHILE**

Naruto was in a blaze as he ran around. He Gaara and Sasuke had all met near the guys' dorms. They were currently running around, making a lot of noise, and blinding people to the point of no return.

"OBI WAN!" Naruto yelled, launching a spinning balloon filled with lemon juice.

"KENOBI!" finished Sasuke.

"OBI WAN!"

This time Sakura joined Sasuke.

"KENOBI!"

"OBI WAN!"

"KENOBI!"

Naruto paused before turning around.

"Wait…" he said. "Who was Kenobi again?"

Sakura face palmed as she kicked a balloon over a row of hedges. It splattered on a human and there was a scream.

"Same person!" reminded Sasuke.

Naruto frowned.

"RIGHT!" he said, spinning off another one.

The three of them were stationed behind a row of bushes and were launching missiles over to the other side. It was working out pretty well. Then a rush of darts flew over. Sakura and Sasuke dodged while Naruto spazzed around.

"Too many darts!" yelled Naruto.

Then, just as suddenly as the darts had came, they stopped.

"What?" muttered Sasuke.

They all fell into battle stance as they heard someone move around on the other side. With a flash a figure appeared next to them. It walked right past, reading a small orange book.

"Hey, kids" Kakashi said, raising a hand as he passed by.

Blink

Blink

Blink

**ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCHOOL**

Ino, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Kiba were standing blankly in the middle of a large grassy lawn. They had no clue what to do. A lot of Oto students were prowling and the four were trying to be lawn statues. Shikamaru yawned and a person noticed. The male Oto student looked suspiciously at them. Then he turned slowly away as if to say something to his classmates.

"EVERYONE HIDE BEHIND A TREE!" Ino whisper yelled.

Everyone dived for cover. There was a rough sound of scuffling.

"NOT BEHIND THE SAME TREE!" Ino and Hinata cried.

Kiba was pushed out into the air and he dived for a bush. He crouched quietly, hoping he hadn't been seen.

'_be a bush. I am a bush. I am a bush'_ he thought over and over again.

The Oto student from before edged over, trying to be inconspicuous. Ino and Hinata dead panned. It was so obvious. Kiba was still freaking out as he edged away, taking the bush with him. The three in hiding and other students just watched as a tall brunette in a skirt crab walked to a bush that was jump crawling away. The girl quickly got tired of the game and she pounced. They both, the bush and the girl, let out a blood curdling scream. The bush, well, Kiba because the girl had an ice cold grip and freaking sharp finger nails. The girl screamed because of the large white dog biting her leg.

"GRRRRR" growled Akamaru.

Kiba took the chance to get free from the girl's grip and sprint past the row of trees.

"We'd better get gooooooooooing!" said Kiba, his voice shaking just a bit.

Shikamaru looked back to Akamaru. The girl was violently shaking her leg and Akamaru shook with it. He wouldn't let go, not until Kiba whistled. Ino and Hinata caught up to the guys and they ran. This time, it wasn't because of any pumpkin. They just wanted to stay alive through this. Shikamaru instructed them to run in zig zags and they were able to avoid the darts and other missiles. Ino was running along a low hedge and she gasped. The blonde skidded to a stop and froze.

"Why, hello!" she said brightly.

Shikamaru turned around as he ran.

"INO!" he yelled. "This is not the time for your guy fettish!"

Ino glared.

"I wouldn't stop for an Oto guy you shit stick!"

Shikamaru stopped. Ino wasn't exactly careful with her words but she didn't normally curse at him.

"What?" he asked.

Ino blinked slowly.

"Oh yeah!" she said, ushering them over. "Look look look look!"

Everyone was there in a second flat.

"Oh my Kami" Hinata said, her mouth open.

"G-guys?" squeaked Matsuri.

Kiba crossed his arms and tutted.

"Bad timing" he chided.

Matsuri and Gaara had fallen over hedge while they were running. Gaara was looking up into Matsuri's pale grey eyes. He blinked slowly. She had landed just above him, catching herself just before she fell. Matsuri blushed and hurriedly got off. Gaara sat up and brushed the grass off of him. Well, that was… Gaara frowned to himself. He didn't know how to explain it. Oh well, there were a bunch of people coming so he didn't have to think any longer.

"Behind you guys" Matsuri said, her face still flushed.

Everyone turned around.

"And down the yellow brick road we go again!" cheered Kiba.

They watched him skip down the main quad and stared.

"What did he eat?" asked Matsuri.

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Nothing" he replied.

Everyone nodded in agreement before running. In the distance they could see the main building. At the base there were rare flashes of Anko and Kurenai as they fought in the large crowd.

"Kurenai-sensei?" said Hinata.

"Anko-sensei seems to be having fun too" added Ino.

Gaara looked up through his turquoise eyes and caught sight of three figures on the roof. They were pretty impressive, clothes and flapping in the wind. It was dark and hard to make out the details but obvious silhouettes revealed their identities. Shikamaru stood by Gaara, looking up as well.

"Not good" he said.

Gaara nodded. None of the three were moving. They, it seemed, were more accustomed to taking it slow. Orochimaru made no move when another figure appeared at his side.

"Who?" wondered a voice.

Shikamaru looked to his side. Gaara was next to him while the others had joined the fight. Next to him was Sasuke, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

Gaara nodded once.

"I can't say" he replied.

Naruto and Sakura were running past them towards the crowd.

"No Naruto!" scolded Sakura "Keep pulling out Kyuubi and you'll lose energy"

"But Sakura-chan! You're not my doctor or anything." Naruto whined.

There was a loud smack and the three at the base of the building winced.

"I'd know better than you"

"Geez, Sakura-chan. Talk about Inner Sakura."

"NARUTO!"

A series of whacks followed, causing the guys to wince every single time. When they stopped Sasuke snuck a look back. Naruto was still clutching his head moaning in pain. Sakura saw Sasuke and smiled. She laughed once before waving and running ahead of Naruto into the crowd. Sasuke smirked and turned back only to find a fourth member of their group.

"So where have you been, Hyuuga?" asked Gaara.

Neji shrugged.

"Got cornered into hiding by a few stalkers. We just got out"

"We?" asked Shikamaru.

Neji nodded.

"Yeah, Tenten was with me"

"Oh"

"Any clue?" asked Sasuke.

Neji looked hard, his pale eyes narrowing. There was a flash as the figure moved. Glasses. Neji now knew it was probably the silver haired sidekick from before.

"I heard some people call him Kabuto" he said.

They watched Kabuto move in front of Orochimaru. Tsunade and Jiraiya shifted. They started talking some more and seemed to be negotiating. Then Orochimaru pulled out a bright light.

"Phone" prompted Shikamaru.

**ON THE ROOF**

Orochimaru grinned.

"You know how big my school is" he said.

Tsunade smirked.

"Yes, but my school kicks ass while yours goes around tuning pianos"

Jiraiya chuckled.

"Well Tsunade" he whispered "There's less than half of our school left"

Tsunade glared at him through amber eyes.

"You're supposed to be a champion." She said.

"I am" reminded Jiraiya.

While they were discussing this Orochimaru had started dialing a number.

"Not to mention we know KBA by heart." He mused.

Tsunade froze. She had heard of gangs who had hacked into schools and sent them into destitute. Students had also pulled out due to worried parents about the attacks. Many private schools had been targeted and had failed at rapid speed. This would be no different.

"Crap" said Jiraiya.

Orochimaru was already speaking into the phone. Tsunade made a move for him but Kabuto flashed in front of her.

"Sorry" he said.

A vein bulged in Tsunade's forehead.

"Tsunade, he's only a ki-"

**BOOM**

Kabuto went flying over the side of the building. Tsunade merely hoped that his parents wouldn't sue her.

"Too late" sang Orochimaru as he shut the phone. "Hopefully your school will stay open for a little longer"

This time Jiraiya ran at him but Orochimaru jumped away. He flipped over the railing and into a tree.

"Maybe next time"

Tsunade ran to railing to see him retreating. Kabuto was trailing behind him, round glasses cracked and glinting in the moon light.

"Don't worry" Jiraiya assured Tsunade.

"How. Can I not" she growled.

She ran to the other side, blonde pigtails flying, and saw a crowd coming at rapid speed.

"Tell special forces that they are free to use full power" she said.

**IN THE CROWD**

"C'MON EVERYBODY!" cheered Naruto.

Tenten, Sakura, Ino, Anko, Kurenai, Matsuri, and Hinata were trying to fight off the rush of students that never seemed to end.

"How many students does Oto have?" yelled Matsuri.

"One of the biggest schools!" replied Hinata.

"And this isn't even half of it!" said Anko in a cheerful voice.

"Goody" grumbled Ino, karate chopping someone.

Off to one side Tenten, Sakura, and Naruto were trying to close the gates.

"NARWHALS NARWHALS SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN!" sang Naruto.

He was fiddling with the automatic gate engine but, face it, Naruto wasn't any genius. Sakura pushed him out of the way and started shifting through the wires. She was attempting to dismember the gate so Tenten could close it manually.

"Hurry!"

Tenten had spotted the many students thundering towards them. Sasuke, Neji, Shikamaru, and Gaara had rushed over.

"More?" asked Neji.

"Yeah!" replied Sakura.

All of them prepared for a freaking huge tidal wave when a figure landed in front of them.

"ERRO-SENSEI?" they gasped.

Jiraiya smirked.

"Don't underestimate" he said.

Naruto looked skeptical but his mouth dropped open when the first wave of students came. They were knocked down in a second flat.

"Are all the teachers here ninjas?" said Tenten, taking out Chi.

"Yes!" cheered Matsuri.

Then a strange noise cut through the air.

"_- put in that song from Parody no Jutsu!"

Jiraiya reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black phone.

"Hello?" he said cheerfully, sucker punching a student in front of him.

"Uh huh, yeah….right….uh huh…oh shit"

The teacher shut his phone and ran at high speed.

"Good luck!" he yelled behind him.

The group of 11 stared at his retreating form.

Blink

Blink

Blink

"CHARGE!" yelled a somewhat nerdy student.

"" chanted Sasuke.

Waves and waves of people came at them. It was clear that they were losing when suddenly, all of it stopped.

'_Special forces?'_ thought Neji.

"Not again" Sasuke groaned.

Naruto face palmed and there was silence. After a second or two a figure appeared from the gates.

"Hey, kids"

**ANNOUNCEMENTS**

**1The next chapter or two will include the final round of the smash off. **

**2The next chapter is titled: battle,battle,battle,battle,mushroom,mushroom**

**3REVIEW if you want it.**

**4I don't own Naruto and/or Naruto Shippuden**

**5Go listen to some pwnsome music**

**6And eat tomatoes **

**out.**

afureru hito de nikiwa haji gastu matsu no matsuri

yukata okite edamo haite

kanan koro oto tateru

huinia nata hanabi wofutari demia geta toki

muchu temiteru kimino kaowo

so to mufumimi ta no.

kimi no so to


	20. The First in Finals

02:35

**Hello everyone…**

**I know that the story is rebooting again but please just put up with it. I really appreciate the support.**

**Thanks so much to: Red Chopsticks, Tonai, someone, 13****th****mystery, FoebaMiddonaito, Inusarah Uchiha, zoe1995, and HyperrrGirll, **

The next morning, the eleven of them were all in Tsunades office. The blonde was sitting at her now un-foiled desk with her hands folded in front of her. As punishment for the foiling Neji, Tenten, and Sasuke had to give up about 30 dollars worth of sake money each. Sasuke and Neji just handed it over, being Uchihas and Hyuugas, but Tenten had to scrape up all the change she had.

"I'm not exactly an aristocrat" she grumbled.

Neji raised a brow.

"Aristocrat?" he asked.

"Nevermind" the brunette groaned, facepalming.

All the teachers, Kakashi, Anko, Kurenai, and Jiraiya, were also in the office. Kakashi had finally put down his book and was talking quietly with Jiraiya. Apparently, the silver haired man was the Special Forces in one. Anko and Kurenai were next to the kids, both looking mildly bored but alert. Anko had a bandage over one eye while Kurenai had a brace on her arm. She was pulled out of fighting when someone had managed to trip her and sprain her wrist. Tsunade and Jiraiya were both unscathed but had a slightly worried look in their eyes. Orochimaru had left without any promises and the finals of the smash off were in several days. Tsunade closed her eyes and frowned. She had explained the extra details to the two bands but something still set her off.

"How many songs?" asked Sakura.

"Two again" replied Jiraiya.

Kiba looked up from where he was kneeling, petting Akamaru.

"I thought it was three" he said.

The Inuzuka was leaving later that afternoon, having to be at the smash off place early. Sai had dropped by a few hours before to remind him.

"Three" said Tsunade, glaring at Jiraiya.

He shrugged and went back to discussing things with Kakashi. Kakashi was taking a break from being a teacher and was casually dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. A mask still covered the lower part of his face and he still carried the book in one hand. Kakashi was planning to come with the bands to the final round of the smash off. Naruto had protested but Kakashi just blinked.

"Sorry" he said. "Tsunade-sama's orders"

Tsunade finished explaining the rest and then they all left. The teachers stayed behind and the beginnings of an argument could be heard just as they left.

"Ack" yawned Shikamaru as he stuck his hands behind his head.

They were wandering around on the grass, well, what was left of it anyway. The school had been thoroughly trashed and many of the staff were hurriedly trying to cover it. Several police had stopped by late at night but Tsunade's drunken temper had scared them away. The group strolled the grass, searching for the stray weapon or trace of hot sauce but none were found.

"Tsunade did a good job" murmured Sasuke, kicking a rock across the lawn.

The others nodded in zoned out agreement. A moment later they subconsciously floated off into their own groups and went to wherever they had to go. Hinata, Matsuri, Ino, Sakura, and Tenten split off from the group to go to their own club room while the guys went to theirs. Hinata slid the door shut behind her and sat on the couch. It had only been a week but the room was welcoming. Sakura and Ino flopped down on the floor while Matsuri sat next to Hinata. Tenten brought over a beanbag chair thingy and sat roughly.

"I wonder where we'll be doing the competition" she drawled.

Ino sighed.

"Lazy Ass said that they're having it at a coast town. He wouldn't tell me which one but it's supposed to be filled with tourists."

"That sucks" Sakura and Matsuri said at the same time.

"Yeah" murmured Hinata.

"So now what" asked Tenten.

The girls thought for a while.

"You wanna see if the kitchen will let us cook crepes?"

**THE NEXT MORNING: SOMEWHERE BY THE COAST**

Tenten was the first to step off of the bus that morning.

"Holy shit!" she yelled as the sea breeze swept her hair back.

The brunette shut her eyes as the others came out.

"It's the ocean!" cried Naruto, running to the edge of the pier.

"THE OCEAN-OCEAN-CEAN-EAN-AN-N"

Someone hit him roughly in the head and he collapsed. It was an unnaturally sunny day for the fall and the water was a deep sparkling blue. Everyone joined Naruto at the edge of the water and stared into it.

"Pretty" murmured Sakura.

Ino knelt and settled down, legs hanging over the edge of the water. Matsuri kicked off her flip-flops and sat down next to her. Hinata giggled as the tips of her toes brushed the tiny waves.

"It's so great here" she sighed, leaning back.

"Yeah" said Tenten.

The ten of them just stood/sat there, staring mutely into the gentle waves. Then Kakashi climbed off the bus and waved his famed perverted book at them. He was dragging a small suitcase behind him.

"Your stuff isn't gonna climb up 5 floors for you" he said.

Shikamaru groaned. He was expecting something less energy exerting. Gaara walked over to the back of the van. Neji followed behind him and the two blinked at the open doors.

"Must girls pack so much?" Gaara asked.

Neji shrugged. He poked delicately at a purple bag he assumed to be Ino's. It sagged onto a considerably smaller red and white bag that was probably Tenten's.

"I…don't know" he said, wincing as it tipped onto a hot pink duffle.

"Ya! Careful!" yelled Sakura, grinning wildly.

Sasuke materialized near Neji and smirked.

"Troublesome" Shikamaru said as he dragged his own suitcase out.

The rest came over and hauled their bags out. Kakashi easily carried three of them by himself as they piled into the lobby. The receptionist handed out the keys to the suites and they moved into the elevator. Matsuri tried to catch a spot but it was too full.

"Damn" muttered Tenten.

"What?" asked Ino, tugging at a wheel that had gotten caught.

"We're on the 7th floor" she said.

**1.563829 HOURS LATER**

"GAHHHHH" groaned Sakura as she flopped onto a bed. The suite had two connecting rooms, one with three twin beds, the other with one twin bed and a pull out couch. Tenten immediately claimed the couch as her own and started jumping on it.

"MINE!" she growled.

Ino poked her head in from the adjoining door.

"Aren't you tired?" she asked, sighing lazily.

"NEVAR!" replied the brunette.

Hinata had agreed to take the bed and bunk with Tenten while the three other girls would stay in the other room.

"How does she do it?" asked Matsuri

Sakura smiled.

"I really don't know"

The girls lapsed into silence but it wasn't long before they started moving again. They swiftly changed into new clothes, most with their swimsuits underneath. Ino pulled out a massive bag and started stuffing stuff in to it.

"Sun screen…" said Sakura as she passed the objects to the blonde

"Money.." added Matsuri, stuffing a couple of bills into her back pocket.

Even if the smash off was soo the girls were fully ready to enjoy themselves while they were at it. They padded out into the hallway and exited the hotel.

"Ack!" said Tenten as she saw the scene before her.

The streets were spilling over with water, juice, ice cream, food, music, and most of all: people. Tourists and locals were swarming everywhere, selling, eating, and playing. Hinata grabbed onto the sunhat she was wearing to keep it from flying away.

"This place is pretty amazing" Ino said grudgingly.

Sakura laughed.

"Come on!" she said, pulling the girls into the crowded street.

It was almost like a never-ending summer festival. Vendors lined the place selling food, prizes, local delicacies, and a lot more. A large square was cut out for what seemed like a soccer tournament. Middle school aged kids were lounging around and trading curses as they waited for scores to be tallied. Further on was a larger area where adults played. More tables were set around the field, occupied by the elderly playing go and card games. The street gave out to a boardwalk dusted with sand.

"We're almost there!" Tenten smiled.

Sure enough, at the end of the boardwalk there was a set of stairs that led down to powdery sand. It was pale and the beach stretched for what seemed like miles. There were surprisingly less people on the beach than the street. All the boardwalks and piers were loaded but the beach itself was peaceful with the occasional stroller, sand castle maker, or parent looking after their kids in the ocean.

"WOOT!" cheered Ino as she raced for the water.

The clear blue water reflected onto her eyes and made them shine. In fact, the water made anything that stood in it glow. The girls dumped their stuff in a pile and plunged into the water.

"Salty!" choked Tenten as she gagged and fell over.

Hinata cracked up but stopped laughing when the brunette didn't come up for air.

"Te-WTHNIVSUIL?"

The dark haired Hyuuga fell backwards into the water as a pair of hands pulled her down.

"SHARK!" screamed Sakura.

Ino too went down and Matsuri followed soon after. Sakura started spazzing but her spaz fest was cut off as she too went under. Tenten shot up from the water, choke laughing. She spewed salt water off to the side and grinned. The other girls managed to get up soaking, eyes rimmed with red from the water. Sakura and Ino rolled up imaginary sleeves as they grinned at each other.

"RAWR!"

Tenten tried to run away but ended up doing it in slow motion. The blonde and pinkette struggled to follow after. Matsuri glided up next to them in a neat free style. Hinata was on their other side swimming under water most of the time. Sakura was the first to give up and she started sprinting for the bun haired girl.

"Oh shit!" cursed Tenten as she dove.

The arsenal of 4 girls reached Tenten as tackled her.

"DUNK!" Ino commanded.

Tenten was dunked repeatedly before she started fighting back. The girls started tripping but refused to let Tenten go.

"Yo"

The 4 girls above water turned to see the guys at the edge of the water a good 12 feet away. Hinata waved cautiously. Ino and Sakura started cackling while Matsuri waved as well. Gaara coughed and pointed to the bubble rising from the cluster of hands.

"Oh!" said Hinata, remembering that a human being was being drowned under there.

Tenten was let up, coughing violently. She bent over and coughed some more, eyes streaming.

"You…guys suck" she said hoarsely.

"I know." said Neji, jumping over to dunk her again.

That started the others and soon the girls were being pushed under water.

"Stop it!" sputtered Sakura.

"NEVAAARR!" yelled Naruto, who was dunking Hinata.

Then Shikamaru lifted Ino completely out of the water and threw her as far as he could. Neji was right next to him, swinging Tenten into bridal style.

"Don't you dare Hyuuga Ice Bitch" the brunette said, her tone colder than Hiashi's.

"My pleasure" Neji replied.

There was a huge splash as Tenten and the other girls were thrown into the air. Sasuke and Neji smirked while Naruto demanded high fives.

"That's right!" he crowed pushing the remaining guys into the water face first.

Then the blonde ran away singing jingle bells.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke roared, flicking water out of his eyes.

With a quick nod to Gaara, Shikamaru, and Neji the 4 started charging towards Naruto. They were surprisingly quick too, avoiding the waves. The Uzumaki cackled and started jumping across the water. Then he made the mistake of looking back. The waves shot off in all angles and made a sort of spike ball. The blonde reeled back from the blinding light. It bounced off various objects and right into his eyes.

"OWWWW!"

"NARUTO!"

"WHAT?"

"GET BACK HERE YOU IDIOT. DIE!"

"WHAT?"

"I SAID YOU'RE AN IDIOT!"

"SORRY! THE SUN'S TOO BRIGHT ! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"Wait…What?"

Naruto tripped over the waves and fell into shallow water.

"I'm drowning!" he choked out as Neji pulled him up.

"You are not, dobe" Sasuke said, rolling his eyes.

"HEY!"

Shikamaru turned only to be hit by a clump of wet sand. He scraped the grainy stuff out of his eyes and glared.

"INO!" he yelled as he dove for the beach.

Tenten giggled, scooping up some sand and pelting the guys with it. Her perfect aim landed the sand straight in Neji's hair. The male Hyuuga yelped and clutched the dark locks.

"DAMMIT!" he cursed, dying a little on the inside.

'_m-my hair'_ he thought_. 'it's…it's ruined…'_

Sakura and Hinata were aiming for the head too when Matsuri spotted Gaara on the beach. In the short time they had forgotten them, he had been making a fairly large arsenal of weapons. All of them were made of sand.

"Crap!" Matsuri whispered when she saw her childhood friend with his arms crossed. Sasuke splashed over to the beach and grabbed a rough handful before launching it at Sakura. Ino and Shikamaru grabbed at the same time and were having a stare down with each other, arms raised. Ino narrowed her cerulean blue eyes and Shikamaru nodded.

"EVERYONE ATTACK TENTEN!"

The brunette jumped. She hadn't done anything since she'd pelted Neji.

"Why me?" she wailed as she ran, trying to avoid the sand storm coming her way.

Gaara shrugged as he threw another patch of sand.

"You guys are being terrible to the environment!" Tenten yelled back in mock anger. "SHAME!"

Then Naruto had an idea. He ran over to the female Hyuuga and lifted her up onto his shoulders.

"Run Naruto, Run!" screamed Ino.

"And Hinata!" added Matsuri.

Naruto started speeding across the water, Hinata holding on for dear life. Tenten cursed and tried to run faster when she too was being lifted into the air.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" she screamed "MONSTER!MONSTER!MONSTER!MON-"

"Tenten! Get your hands off my eyes!"

Tenten looked down. Neji was struggling to see through her fingers as he ran. Tenten obliged and he started running faster.

"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto asked, voice being muffled a Hinata tried to hang on.

"Exactly what you're doing!" Neji replied, smirking.

Tenten blushed a little but soon got over it.

"TRY TO GET ME, SUCKERS!" she taunted.

The others started racing across the water after them. Soon they realized that carrying one person and running was faster than just going on your own. Matsuri jumped on Gaara's back, almost sending him into the water.

"Go horsey!" she commanded.

Gaara groaned in annoyance but started sprinting. Sasuke looked at the groups running and shook his head.

"Idiots…" he muttered as he turned around, arms crossed.

Then he caught site of Sakura. The pinkette was drenched in water and sand; and was standing with one hip cocked and her arms crossed. Her green eyes narrowed and Sasuke took a step back.

"Aw, c'mon" he said, getting seriously pissed off.

Sakura's face broke into a grin as she started running towards the stoic Uchiha.

"…Sasuke…" she said menacingly.

Sasuke took that as a sign from Kami and started to run. Ino started to run after them when Shikamaru grabbed her hand.

"This way…troublesome woman" he said.

Ino blinked in confusion.

"Wait, Shikamaru, why ar-"

They both stopped walking. Ino was standing half in the water and half on the sand.

"Now, which one is easier to run on?" Shikamaru asked, stating the obvious.

"Oooh!" Ino replied, facepalming.

The last two started run after the group and soon caught up. Hinata was blushing too hard to do anything but stutter from time to time. Tenten was launching sand at Naruto, rather than Hinata and Naruto was dancing around, gather strange looks from tourists. Then he looked down and spotted something wiggling.

"SHARK!" he screamed as a tiny fish nibbled at his foot.

Hinata promptly fell backwards, giving Naruto just enough time to dive and catch her.

"T-Thanks, Naruto-kun" she said, blushing like Mr. Tomato.

Tenten shoved Matsuri and Sakura just as Neji let her down. Sasuke and Gaara collapsed into the water, taking their partners with them. Sakura sputtered up from the water.

"H-hey!" she said angrily.

Sasuke took a beating from Sasuke as Gaara resurfaced, holding a length of seaweed. The red head tossed it back into the water and silently sat waist deep in cool ocean water. Matsuri appeared next to him and the group sat around for a while, floating in and out of sleep. Soon they slowly got off and more or less ambled towards the beach. All but Tenten, that is. Then teen suddenly bolted up, splashing water. She heard something in the distance. Something she didn't know if she wanted to listen to again. It was a great song, probably a cover by the sound of it. And it all sounded very familiar.

"Tenten!"

The bun haired brunette turned at the sound of her name. Sakura was waving at her to come. Tenten blinked and realized that the group was far ahead of her. She ran forwards, kicking up the sand as she went.

"Why did you stay there?" Neji asked once she settled into a easy walk at his side.

Tenten shook her head.

"Nah, I think I was just being paranoid."

"Or not" Sasuke cut in.

He pointed ahead to the left. He too had caught on to the familiar sound that he'd heard since he was a kid. There was a small stage set up and a crowd had grown around it. From the sign above the stage, it was supposed to be a talent show for the locals and tourists but the band that was playing did not sound amateur. Naruto saw a tree and with exchanged glances, he and Shikamaru shot up the nearest tree they could find.

Naruto popped out from the top of the green leaves and gave a salute. Shikamaru popped up next to him and stared over the crowd. Neji, who had walked to the base of the tree with Gaara looked up.

"Who?" asked the red head.

Shikamaru shook his head.

"Of course"

"Akatsuki" he and Sasuke both said at the same time.

"How id you know?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke sighed and frowned.

"I've had to listen to them for awhile now. I'd know their music. Especially Konan's voice."

Konan's voice really was distinct. Even if the song was a cover, her voice was set apart from the music.

"Thank you!" Konan said at the end of the song.

Her voice was soft but it carried easily through the crowd.

"Thank you everyone!" she said again.

By the sound of even louder applause they all assumed that the band members had taken credit.

"I'm sorry, this is all we can do right now but if you'd like to hear more please come to the final round of KMC's Smash Off, held tomorrow night. If you need more information I'm sure you'll see the flyers around town but we'd be grateful if you could come."

The blue haired singer bowed and walked off stage, followed by the rest of the band.

"Tomorrow?" Gaara asked?

"Tomorrow?" repeated the rest of AD and IB

"I thought it was two days after tomorrow!" yelled Sakura.

"We haven't got our songs yet!" added Ino.

"Same here!" countered Sasuke.

"SHIT!" Tenten and Hinata said at the same time.

"Shit indeed" murmured Neji.

The 10 of them stood half buried in the sand as they contemplated their situation.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Matsuri said, death glaring at nothing in particular.

"Erro-sennin..." growled Naruto.

"!$%%#!" They all yelled as they went running back towards the hotel.

**MEANWHILE**

Kakashi sighed. He'd finished reading the Icha Icha Paradise he'd brought twice and the silver hired man suddenly found nothing to do. He looked around his surroundings and remembered that he was at the pool. Several other people were swimming with their kids or splashing around in the clear water. He leaned back and shrugged, allowing him self to relax a little. Then a shadow, no, two shadows passed over him.

"Yo"

Kakashi looked up to see two familiar faces.

"Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama?" he asked in surprise.

Jiraiya grinned, his face flushed from what Kakashi thought was probably alchohal.

"Hahahaha!" the white hair man giggled, spinning wide circles.

Tsunade hit him across the head and sighed in annoyance.

"We went drinking before meeting you here. Apparently, he can't hold his liquor"

Kakashi raised a pale eyebrow. Tsunade smirked and answered the unasked question.

"I've been drinking for a while now, Hatake. I think I can deal with a bit of sake."

Kakashi nodded slowly, a little skeptic. He stood up and set the book down.

"Is there a reason why you two have come earlier than planned?" he aske.d

Tsunade nodded grimly.

"There's been a slight change of plans. The Smash Off is to be held tomorrow night, not in the next three days."

The silver haired man was shocked but hid it well.

"Tomorrow…" he said.

He doubted that either of the bands had written all of their songs, much less one.

"I don't think that any of them are prepa-"

Tsunade put up a hand to cut him off and Kakashi obeyed. The blonde woman turned to briefly smack Jiraiya before getting back to business.

"I know. Which is why I'm here to warn you that-"

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Kakashi's head turned sharply at the voice to spot 10 angry teens at the entry way to the pool.

"Oh no" he murmured.

Tsunade nodded in amusement.

"Exactly" she said happily. "Good luck"

With that she stepped aside as Naruto rushed forwards and grabbed hold of the front of his teacher's shirt.

"SENSEI!" he roared, eyes flaming.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Well, you see, guys. There's been a…"

"SHAAAAAAAARRRR!"

Kakashi bolted as he was chased around the hotel, shouting apologies to the staff as he went.

'why did I ever agree to do this again?' he thought desperately as he turned a corner.

Then he spotted a bit of sky from a window he was running past.

'_right'_ he thought, smiling to himself. _'these kids, as stupid as they may be, have the potential to do anything. They all do'_

**LATER**

Tenten set down a pen as she eased into a chair. It was growing light outside as the sun rose. The brunette let her hair down as she massaged her temples. The rest of her band mates had already drifted off to sleep, one by one. She was the only one left awake as she softly sang the final lyrics to the last song required.

Its been so long

since you've stood by yourself

its been the millionth time

you've fallen down over your self

but you keep on saying

its not the end yet

I can still be stronger

No matter how you fight

running away from that light

the end isn't there

do you want to find it?

find it?

keep on going

just keep on going

why isn't life clear?

theres a voice in your ear

saying it never was

it never was

the truth always hurts

they're bruises

cuts and bruises

covered over by words

that keep you going

just keep on going

If you stop

what happens

theres nothing left

nothing left

to be done anymore

your existence

useless existence

turns a blank page

to something less than before

You fall again

and start crying

stop crying

try to stop crying

those tears that fall

are the only thing holding you back

Keep on going

just keep on going

why isn't life clear

theres a voice in your ear

saying never was

it never was

they're only bruises

cuts and bruises

covered over by words

that keep you going

just keep on going

Its been ages

since you've look around you

where are you now?

how are you now?

It's time

that you start wishing

why can't i stop

just stop going

the tears start coming

and they wont stop flowing

but a shadow leans forwards

reaches up for your hand

says that you can stop going

that you've reached the end

keep on going

you can now stop going

life's become clear

is life just ending?

Theres a voice in you ear

saying thanks again

thanks again

but you can just stop going

youve reached the end.

Tenten rubbed her eyes as she took off the glasses she wore for studying. The song was the best they could make it. That was all that they could possibly do at the moment. She smiled to herself and set her head down on the pile of papers. Then she closed her eyes and finally slept. Hoping to get what she could call some sleep before the terror started all over again.

**That's a cut for now. Thanks for keeping up guys and please review. **

**Happy 2011 Everyone!**


	21. Realization, Paper, and Explosions

02:48

**Ah! Please forgive me! I know this story has been really slow lately but life in general has been pretty crappy for me. Since February is finally over, I think I'll have more time on my hands. I'll try to upload as often as I can, really. I'm so sorry about this. Thanks to all my previous reviewers for your support. I hope all of you will keep reading. It's a fairly short chapter but I've been on writer's block as well and my multiple plot bunnies ran away (I can't even write a decent school essay right now).**

**So enjoy….**

Tenten woke up in the morning, her dark hair loose. The first thing she saw as she blinked open her eyes were the confusing doodles and words from the night before. She frowned, trying to figure out where the hell she was. She lifted her head slowly from the pile of papers and saw the other band members asleep around her. Not exactly a new situation for the girls. Paper littered the floors and three guitars still connected to amps lay next to the girls. Tenten looked down to find herself still gripping a pen and drumstick in her left hand. She let them clatter to the floor. The sound woke Hinata, who sat up abruptly and rubbed her eyes.

"Man, what the hell...?" she asked, looking around in a dazed state.

Tenten shrugged as she stretched. She glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed in relief. She leaned back and rubbed her temples, grinning. Hinata blinked, looking mildly confused.

"What?" she asked.

"We're not late for anything!" Tenten replied cheerfully.

"Okay," yawned the female Hyuuga. "I'm just gonna go back to sleep then"

Hinata collapsed and was immediately asleep. Tenten grinned at her friends and stood up. She winced as she walked over to the door. Falling asleep in a chair really was not a good idea. She limped out into the hallway, cursing under her breath. On their way back yesterday she had seen a convenience store and was prepared to stock up on sugar. A whole shitload of sugar. She tried to walk as normally as possible but with one leg completely numb and the other half asleep, it was hard. She closed her eyes but kept walking, breathing in and out in slow intervals. She was about to open her eyes, keeping her composure together when she realized something.

There were stairs in front of her.

And the fact that she was falling.

Her numb leg gave out under her as she snapped out of her daze. The staircase seemed long and as she jolted forwards, her foot slipping off the landing and onto the several first steps. As it contacted with the step she could hear a slight crack and a flash of pain ran up her leg. She cried out quietly as the rest of the staircase came into view. The brunette shut her eyes and waited for the impact of the edge of a stair.

_'This is gonna hurt like shit'_ she thought, already wincing.

But there was no impact. There was a slight pressure on her back to confirm it. Tenten wouldn't dare open her eyes. The pain was still there and if she opened her eyes then an unstoppable amount of tears would probably pour out. She hung limply as the person position her so that she was in a more comfortable position.

"Are..you all right?" asked a slightly confused voice.

Tenten stiffened. She knew that voice. She knew it too well. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes slowly. Sure enough, familiar pale lavender eyes stared right back at her. The brunette closed her eyes again and cursed.

_'oh for the love of kami..."_ she growled, under her breath.

Neji smirked as he walked up the stairs and set Tenten down so that she was leaning against the wall.

"Why the hell were you walking with your eyes closed?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice.

Tenten growled as her ankle moved.

"I have my reasons and my ankle hurts like a fucking elephant stepped all over it."

Neji looked over to her ankle to see that it had already swollen to a considerable size. He gently prodded it, immediately stopping when Tenten cursed in pain.

"Its sprained pretty badly." he announced. "You probably won't be able to walk properly for a few days"

Tenten nodded.

"Feels like it."

Then she suddenly opened her eyes, gasping from her ankle.

"Aw shit, the finals!" she yelled her pain boosting her voice level even louder.

Neji rolled his eyes.

"Shut up. You're a drummer so you wont have to stand for most of the time anyways. And we can just use the platform again."

Tenten sighed in reluctant relief. Of course he would think of something in two seconds flat. Then she felt herself being lifted up.

"Wait-Whoa!" she yelped as Neji lifted her up bridal style. "What are you doing?"

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"You think I'm going to leave you in the middle of the hallway?"

Tenten looked away, clearly pissed off.

"Your probably would" she shot back.

Neji sighed in mock annoyance.

"Fine"

He walked over to the stairs and held the brunette over the edge.

"It's a really long way until the bottom, isn't it?" he mused blinking innocently.

Tenten twisted and struggled to punch him in the face.

"You asstard!" she yelled, moving around a lot for someone who was supposed to be injured.

Neji couldn't help but smile.

"Give it up" he said. "You fight like a panda"

Tenten's eyes narrowed,

"How the hell would you know anyways?"

Neji sighed and turned, walking down the hallway while being careful not to move Tenten around so much.

"Now what are you doing?" Tenten asked, indignant.

"I'm taking you back to your room, you idiot" he replied.

Tenten stopped struggling. He acted as if that was something he did every day. Something he considered his duty.

"O-oh" she muttered, turning somewhat red.

Neji looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. She really was a weird girl.

"Yeah" he said as he kept walking.

Tenten felt her face heating up. Her body relaxed and she closed her eyes again. She felt strangely comfortable. Her eyes snapped open as she started shaking her head back and forth.

_'No way!_' thought as she mentally slapped herself.

Neji blinked as Tenten started shaking her head, eyes shut tight. He was slightly annoyed that he ended up in this situation but the more he walked, the more he grew used to it. He blinked uncertainly and stopped at the room the girls were all supposed to be staying at. Tenten kicked it violently with her good leg and after a few shouts, a sleepy looking Ino opened the door.

"What the hell do you wa-oh!"

The blonde's sleepy eyes immediately glittered. Sakura stumbled up behind her, looking dazed. A sparkle replaced the dead look in her eyes as well as the two stared at the scene in front of them.

blink

blink

blink

"Ah.." Neji started "...Is it alright if I set her down here?"

Ino and Sakura both snapped out of their fantasy worlds and made way for him to enter. He gently set Tenten down on a bed and promptly walked out. Before he was out the door, he turned back.

"Take care of her ankle and Kakashi-sensei wants us all to meet at 2" he said.

The door shut behind him.

Silence

"Well that was nice" mused Matsuri, her arms crossed.

Tenten waved a hand randomly in the air, struggling from yelping out in pain.

"Ya, is there any medical supplies here?' she asked.

Ino and Sakura looked like they wanted to tie her to a giraffe and make it pull her through an ocean of pudding until she told them what the hell had happened but Hinata, being the sensible one, rushed to a closet and immediately started tending to her friend's ankle.

"I really can't imagine how this happened" she murmured as she expertly bound the swelling ankle.

Tenten facepalmed.

"I don't think you'd want to know" she said, wincing as the tape pulled a little too tightly.

Hinata loosened the tape as Matsuri, Ino, and Sakura rushed over.

"Well no matter" said Sakura cheerfully. "Just tell us everything and it will all be fine"

Tenten groaned and glared.

"I could say the same for you Uchiha Sakura-sama"

Sakura jumped and all of them could have sworn that they saw a blush. Sakura regained her composure somewhat quickly and struggled to turn the conversation back to Tenten.

"I'm sure that Neji-nii-san has taken some interest to you" Hinata mused quietly.

Tenten laughed as she sat up.

"He's a stuck up bastard! What else can I say, and I'm sure you're reading to far into this Hina-chan"

Ino shook her head and leaned in.

"Have you ever noticed that he's the only girl, besides sometimes Hina, that he ever talks to?" she pointed out.

Tenten shook her head blankly.

"Why the hell does that matter?" she asked.

Matsuri just smiled.

"It will someday" she said.

"No, not really." said Tenten, obviously annoyed, "I can't see what you guys are saying. I really don't."

Ino whined exasperatedly.

"Come one Ten-chan! He's helped you more than once; he's caught you more than once! And you two look good together!" she concluded, throwing her hands up in the air and dancing.

Tenten grinned. Ino was such a spaz. It looked like she was doing some strange variation of a rain dance at the moment. Matsuri started cracking up and dancing with her.

"I think that's just how he is. He's an aristocrat, after all. His family's gone and he was just raised by his uncle so I'm sure he's grown up like that"

Sakura Ino and Matsuri paused for a while. Some of this could be possible but they all couldn't help but let their minds run on.

"Sure" Sakura said, flipping onto the bed. "When are the finals?"

Matsuri shrugged as she too let the subject go.

"I forget but we should go meet everyone"

Ino looked over to the clock. The one on the wall read 1:15.

"I must get ready" she said cheerfully before grabbing some stuff and locking herself in the bathroom.

"Oh no" groaned Sakura as she pounded on the door. "Don't take so long this time!"

"Long?" Ino asked innocently, placing a hand on her chest in mock surprise.

Matsuri sighed and joined Sakura.

" 2 hours last time Ino. We don't have that much time left"

Ino just answered by singing an extremely fast pop song. While the 3 fought over the bathroom, Hinata came to sit by Tenten. She set a bag of ice on the ankle and let it sit there.

"How's you're ankle now?" she asked kindly.

Tenten smiled. "I'm sure it'll be fine by tonight."

Hinata nodded.

"A-ano...Tenten...you see...Neji-nii-san..."

Hinata trailed off. Tenten looked up.

"Yes?" she asked.

Hinata put her fingers together nervously.

"Well...he...he changes when he's around you...and he's never told anyone about his parents...almost...none of the guys knew about it until a year ago...he told you so...he..."

Tenten blinked. He told her? Why? The brunette shook her head. She didn't care. She was sure of it. But was she? He was always so...different. She looked out the window and sighed. She didn't want to care. But now she found herself caring.

Damn it.

Neji walked down the hallway, a strange look o his face. It was a mixture of confusion, annoyance, and frustration. He shook his head and blinked rapidly. Maybe it was just a fever…because for some weird reason, he suddenly felt very hot. He reached the door to the guys' suite and knocked politely.

"Room service!" yelled a voice from inside.

The male Hyuuga facepalmed as he heard Naruto scrambling for the door. Several seconds later, it flew open.

"RAME-" the blonde yelled.

He stopped mid 'ramen' and paused, a look of disgust written all over his face. His face twisted with betrayal.

"You…" he said, pointing "…you disgust me!" he yelled, flinging himself on a bed.

Sasuke kicked Naruto in the side, narrowly missing Shikamaru who had been sleeping on the bed.

"Shut up!" he said, annoyed.

Shikamaru sat up suddenly and glared.

"Will you both shut the flipping hell up?" he yelled in a un-shikamaru-esque way.

The brunette slapped a hand to his forehead and fell back, grumbling about 'troublesome people'.

"What's up with him?" Gaara asked, coming out of the bathroom, steam trailing behind him.

Sasuke smirked as Naruto hurried to back away from the angered Nara. Neji closed the door behind him and ignored the urge to poke at Shikamaru.

"I dunno" he said.

Gaara shrugged and hung the towel over the back of chair as he shook his red hair out. Water droplets spattered the desk as well as Sasuke's laptop. The Uchiha jumped up and wiped them off, muttering about how sensitive it was. A loud ping echoed through the room and Gaara reached for his phone.

He clicked through the message and read it thoroughly, the area where his eyebrows were supposed to be, shooting up.

"Kakashi-sensei says that we need to be down in the lobby in 10 minutes or our asses will be walking back to Konoha in a few hours."

Shikamaru rose to a right angle. Naruto turned to stare weirdly at him as Sasuke sighed.

"Right" Neji said, grabbing his own phone and tucking it into his back pocket "Lets move"

THE GIRLS

"Ah!" Tenten yelled as her phone vibrated crazily.

It fell off its perch on a desk and Sakura had to lean over to retrieve it. She whipped it out of Tenten's reach and read the newest message.

"Whoa, Sasuke?" she asked, eyes still on the screen, face burning red.

Tenten lunged for her phone and wrenched it out of the pinkettes grasp.

"I see jealousy!" she sang, grinning maliciously.

She leaned over the screen and read the message.

**From: Duckbutt**

Kakashi-sensei says for all of us to meet him in the lobby.

Now.

Or else we're all screwed.

Matsuri read from over her shoulder, her eyes blinking worriedly.

"I hope it's nothing to big" she murmured.

"Same" declared Tenten, flipping her phone shut.

Ino emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed and prepared.

"Let's go!" she said cheerfully, grabbing a jacket and heading for the door.

Sakura and Matsuri followed quickly, bickering about who was more of a ninja, Sasuke or Gaara, while Hinata helped Tenten. The brunette leaned heavily on the Hyuuga as she limped out into the hallway.

"Elevator!" she yelled, eyes flashing.

She jam-pushed the button until it came. It opened with a pleasant 'ding' and they all piled in. Ino pressed a button and a loud explosion made them all jump. Matsuri blinked happily and teetered back and forth. The next time Hinata pushed a button, another exploding sound erupted. This continued until they reached the first floor. Sakura fell out of the elevator, glad to escape the sound.

"Ya!"

The girl turned to see Naruto waving at them. Kakashi and the rest of AD were surrounding a table. Tenten could just barely see the pieces of paper overflowing from it.

"Hey" Ino said, smiling.

The others nodded in greeting, turning straight back to the situation at hand.

"Well that wasn't very nice" grumbled Sakura.

Kakashi waved the girls over with an impatient hand. He was dressed in jeans and a gray shirt, a white surgeon's mask covering his lower face. The girls crowded around him as he handed out papers to everyone.

"Okay" he said, putting his hands together "Everyone's here now. The thing is…that we've had some break ins at the smash off. So now they require papers to be filled out."

Tenten glanced at the papers in her hand. They looked complicated and bothersome. The guys were already all over the place, scribbling and filling in the blanks as fast as they could. Naruto was practically rolling while Neji bit the tip of his pen, deep in concentration. Shikamaru lazily flicked off whatever box he saw first and Sasuke stared intently at the words. Only Gaara was taking this calmly and seriously. He was the first to hand in his completed stack, Neji being a close second.

"What's the hurry?" Hinata asked.

Kakashi glanced down at the watch on his wrist.

"Well, you see...you've got about…15 minutes to fill it all out"

A silence filled the area as the girls deadpanned.

"Really?" Tenten asked, annoyed "Seriously?"

"Yes" Kakashi replied, 'duh' oozing off his voice.

They all grabbed pens and started filling the form out. Tenten started talking to herself as she wrote.

"Tenten…16…Konoha Boarding Academy…drummer…female…Ignorant Bliss…wait…town of origin?...er…Creeper!...hell no!"

Sakura stalked over to Kakashi, Ino and Matsuri close behind.

"How is this relevant to the smash off?" she demanded, pointing at the paper.

Kakashi shrugged.

"It's not. Just fill it out. 7 minutes girls."

They all got back to writing as Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Naruto finished theirs. The guys wandered around for a while before a loud ringtone started playing.

" OH, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MORNING~"

Neji jumped as the sound of chirping birds and bells erupted from his phone.

Naruto cackled as he hurriedly pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Sorry!" he called back to the group of annoyed/amused people as he rushed out of the room.

Once he found an empty place, he brought the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Neji." Addressed a formal voice.

Neji froze. He knew that voice all too well. Too well for his liking. He coughed once before replying.

"Yes, Hiashi-sama. Is there something you need?"

Hiashi sighed, as if something was nagging at him.

"Neji, a situation has come up. I'm afraid that it involves you and your future."

Neji was confused. As long as his future didn't involve anything with Hyuuga Hiashi, he was fine. His voice took on a bitter tone as he spoke curtly.

"What is it?" he asked.

Hiashi's voice sounded strained when he replied.

"Neji, I know you're father wouldn't have wanted this. And I've tried to keep this future away from you as long as possible, but I can't avoid it anymore. "

"What?" Neji asked.

What would his father not have wanted? What the hell was Hiashi talking about? He actually sounded like he was stressed out. Stressed for Neji's sake. The Hyuuga Hiashi that Neji knew despised him and only seemed to care about social standing. Hiashi paused for a while.

"I hate to do this. I really do. But Neji. The time has come."

"Hiashi-sama…." Neji growled, getting annoyed.

Hiashi let out a sigh of defeat.

"Neji. When you return you'll have to meet your fiancé. Be prepared"

**Review for the return of the plot bunnies. Reviews are their food, and they defected because they were starving. Thanks everyone.**


	22. I understand Fate is utter bullshit

22:21

**Yes, I have returned. **

**For the first time in three months. So, I gotta admit that this is turning into a train but at least I got some plot bunnies back with your awesome reviews(seriously, some made me want to cry). Things get busy around here and I swear teachers like piling projects and crap on you in the last 2-3 weeks of school. If you've experienced this, I now understand. If you haven't, you have not been through hell yet. You may think you have but you haven't. **

**Thanks to: The Plot Bunnies Enemy, SummonerPascal, xXxPraiseTehBunnehxXx, Ayame0217, Aiko Asylum, nejitenten4evr, Tsudoki101, AkiraKanda, Bookworm73, xAlternativexMusicxGirlx, Rose Tiger, and Crestfallenfeline.**

**All of you helped me a crapload. Also thanks to those who have been keeping up with this from the start.**

**Cheers.**

_**RECAP**_

_"Hiashi-sama…." Neji growled, getting annoyed._

_Hiashi let out a sigh of defeat._

_"Neji. When you return you'll have to meet your fiancé. Be prepared"_

"Excuse me?"

Neji quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, immediately regretting his outburst. He almost loosed his grip on the phone.

"I-i'm sorry Hiashi-sama, just a moment"

"Look, Ne-"

Neji set the open phone on a table, his head spinning. He wasn't quite sure if he had heard right. Maybe he was starting to be slightly delusional. The feverish feeling from earlier would easily explain that. But nothing could sum up for the ache in his chest. It was just there and he had no clue why. Neji shook his head. He could swear he heard Hiashi say 'fiancé', a word he never hoped to leave his uncle's lips. The tall teen leaned back to a wall and slid down slowly, unable to stand up any longer. The emotions that he worked so hard to keep out over flooded his entire being. He closed his eyes, breathing calmly. In. Out. In. Out. Once he had just enough control to calm himself, he rose and reached for the phone. He knew he was heading to his doom even before he held it to his ear.

"Hiashi-sama" he started in a slow voice "I'm sure I heard you say that I was to be prepared to meet my fiancée when I returned"

There was a tense silence before Hiashi coughed lightly.

"Yes Neji, I did say that you should be prepared to meet your fiancé upon your return"

"Why?"

The sudden question caught Hiashi off guard. Neji could hear his voice slightly catch over the line, an emotion that was forbidden and never, almost never, shown or heard from a Hyuuga.

"Neji, I'll explain this to you once you've return to Konoha. I'm afraid that it is not something that should be discussed over a phone."

"Hiashi-sama. I need to know now o-"

"Neji!"

Neji stopped speaking. Hiashi's voice had risen to a commanding level. He could almost feel the waves of demand coming off of the phone.

"Neji" Hiashi repeated in a softer tone "I've told you, this is something that I cannot tell you now. This is something I'd rather not regret. I ask you to do this, not as the head of the Hyuuga clan, but as your father's brother. I hope you won't disappoint me."

Neji gritted his teeth as he gripped the side of a table. He had no choice now did he? The unfamiliar man from before, the Hiashi who had sounded almost worried for his future, was gone.

"I understand Hiashi-sama." he replied, voice stone cold.

"Good. I'll see you in a few days time."

There was a small beep as the line was disconnected. Neji shut the phone and sat down once more.

What had he just gotten himself into?

Tenten looked up as Neji walked in. What the hell had happened to him? He was radiating uneasiness like an emo cow. Tenten smiled to herself as she watched to stoic Hyuuga stalk over and collapse in a chair. Not to far away, Naruto and Shikamaru were dawdling around, having started an intense game of capture the flag with a hotel pillow. Sasuke was silently sulking in 'jail' while Gaara resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Naruto side tackled him. The rest of the girls had finished filling out the forms and were in the bathroom. Kakashi fake-coughed loudly as he pulled out an omnibus edition of Icha Icha Paradise. Tenten turned slightly to look at that silver haired man.

"S-sensei..." she said, deadpanning at the sight of the book. "What the HELL is that?"

The back of the book listed all the benefits of the omnibus edition, right from the anime, live action drama, and the drama CD to the free button and omake doujin at the end. Kakashi looked up, confused. The large orange book in his lap fanned out and Tenten winced, afraid of what might be inside.

"Ya?" he replied, in a strangely innocent voice that rose an octave at the end.

Tenten stared at him through narrowed eyes, one eyebrow raised, until one eye started twitching from the effort. Under the mask, she could have sworn she saw the material twitch up in a smile. The teacher knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Begone" Kakashi said, waving a hand at her "Youngsters like you should be off elsewhere"

"Yes, old man" Tenten mocked rolling her eyes.

"You'd be wise not to mock me" he retorted, holding up the book.

Tenten smirked and tilted her head to the side.

"Really, how old are you?" she questioned, suddenly seriously curious.

Kakashi ignored her question and went back to turning the pages of the book. His eye's lit up at a particular section.

"You'd better get going Tenten." the teacher mused. "I hear there's a pop-up section to this volume."

Tenten balked just as she saw a colorful set of paper come flying from the book. She spun quickly and shuddered, glad that she hadn't seen whatever image might have been there. Behind her Kakashi was thinking to himself.

"Hm... yes, I see now..."

Tenten couldn't help but smile as she made her way across the lobby. Kakashi-sensei acted like such a kid sometimes, or rather, a hormonal teenager. She turned back to Neji, who was still in a major state of darkness. His pale eyes were so moody that she hesitated. She wondered to herself if it would be all right to go over to him. A brainslap later she squared her shoulders. Since when had she cared about what she was or wasn't allowed to do? Hell, she'd never thought twice about anything. Well, almost. With a determined look in her eyes, she stepped forwards...only to be tackled by Shikamaru, who had been tackled by Naruto.

"I...win the game" the brunette wheezed, throwing an arm into the air in victory.

Naruto pounded the ground angrily, close to throwing a tantrum. The dog pile didn't move an inch.

"No! Because it's not touching your territory!" the blonde objected, sticking his tongue out and wiggling it childishly.

And for once, he was actually right. The pillow that served as the 'flag' was sandwiched between Tenten and Shikamaru. No one could tell whether it had touched the floor before or after the pile was formed. Tenten gritted her teeth and facepalmed as the two bickered over whether Shikamaru had won the game.

"GET OFFA ME!" Tenten screeched from her position under the two arguing guys.

Naruto flopped all over the place. The blonde smirked to himself, throwing his full weight on the girl.

"Wat?" he asked loudly.

"I SAID GET OFFA ME!" she yelled, her last patience completely disappearing.

Tenten started flailing around, which proved to be quite dangerous, seeing that she was still gripping a pen in her hand. Naruto scrambled away, allowing Shikamaru to move off. Tenten sat up abruptly and grabbed hold of the plushy pillow. She power chucked it at the two in frustration. They quickly dodged the bullet like pillow, laughing sheepishly. The brunette glanced over to Neji who had resumed his placid facade and decided that he was back to his normal ice bitch self. She stood up and rolled up her imaginary sleeves.

"Oh" she said, evil laughter slipping from her mouth. "You two are so bloody corpses in the ocean."

Naruto grinned at the compromise of a challenge and he ran, tugging Shikamaru behind him. As they passed the bathroom, the girls stepped out.

"Well, what the flying fuck are you doing?" Sakura asked, her eyebrows furrowing together.

Tenten rushed by, answering them in the process.

"Well, they tackled me, and nearly squished the living hell out of me."

Hinata shrugged. They all knew that it was just about any reason you could get mad at the guys. Tenten smiled serenely.

"They also ate your cookie" she called smugly.

The female Hyuuga's face hit a blank. Her pale eyes widened slightly.

"Wut?" she asked blandly "they ate my cookie?"

Without another word of urging Ino and Matsuri pulled the others into the chase, Ino, Matsuri, and Sakura just because it seemed like the right thing to do, Hinata because she wanted to find out the fate of her beloved cookie. Sasuke broke out of jail and Gaara ended up being twirled around in a tight circle as the group chased around him. The redhead grew confused and reached his arms out, grabbing the two closest people he could find. He turned to see Tenten and Sasuke in his hands. With a nice shove, he pushed them out of the circle and sent them falling. Tenten rolled up, pouted indignantly and flurry slapped anyone in her site. Neji watched the group fight it out from afar, his face just able to keep from breaking the facade he wore. He wished he would forget everything that had happened before. He refused to ponder about it or even to bring about the slightest thought of it. Never in his life had he ever spilled his inner thoughts and secrets to anyone. He was certainly not planning to. The group would know eventually, of course, but it wouldn't be the same. It never would be. Once he was pulled into the workings of complicated marriages and economical alliances, he wouldn't be able to get out of it. Its grip was fast and unrelenting.

_'Please'_ he thought, closing his eyes _'please allow this one last day with them'_

He wondered for a moment who he was praying to, knowing that he really didn't care.

Kakashi peered discreetly from over the edge of his book. Neji's face flickered in a mirage of many emotions. In his 20 something years, the silver haired man had had plenty of time to learn to read people. He never showed it but it was something he did well. Not to mention it helped him shield his own thoughts. He closed the book and set it down in his lap. He had to admit that he saw himself in many of the teens he was supposed to look over. Sasuke, Shikamaru, Neji, Gaara, though never Naruto. Sometimes he wished he had been more like Naruto but he couldn't change that now, could he. All he could do was help them in ways that he couldn't have helped Rin, Obito, or even himself. He rose from his chair and coughed loudly. It was about time they got down to business.

The group had calmed down and they came to attention as a loud clap pierced the air. They turned to look at Kakashi, who was waving them towards him.

"Get over here guys, you too Neji" he said "There's some stuff I should tell you before the finals"

They immediately sobered and crowded around their sensei. Kakashi pulled out a tourist map of the town and a folded piece of paper.

"Right, so I hear the finals are going to be different from the others. This is a new idea that they're trying out so it may seem a bit strange. It's called the New Dawn Stage. It'll be held at 12:00 AM at an open-air stage near the beach. You'll all have to stay awake until then. After that there's the awards ceremony and then you're all free to go. Got it?"

All of them nodded in eerie unison.

"Hai, sensei" they said formally.

Kakashi nodded and grinned.

"Right then, we'll meet up around then. Don't fall asleep guys. That's pretty much the worst thing that could happen to us now. Okay, go and do whatever you guys must do for the next..." he glanced down at his watch "...8 or so hours."

As he pulled out the omnibus edition once more, everyone scattered. Sakura giggled into her palm as they made their way back up to the rooms.

"He's such a perv" Ino grouched, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Ya" Matsuri agreed as she glanced at Gaara.

The guys were silent enough, strange compared to the way that they had been before. They walked towards the elevator that would lead them to their rooms. Naruto threw his arms behind his head and yawned.

"Ne, we've got so much time to do nothing" he said, scrunching his nose.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the idiotic blonde. He gently pressed the up button and they waited the elevator to arrive.

"We've got plenty of shit to do" he said.

Naruto made a face like he didn't believe the dark haired teen. Sasuke paused with his mouth open, as if he wanted to say something. He motioned behind his back for the others to think up of something before Naruto could lead them all on one of his crazy adventures. Sasuke had had plenty of that as a kid. Too much in fact. Like when Naruto was absolutely convinced that there was a sea monster in the pond near where they lived and he demanded that he and Sasuke arm themselves with floaty arm tubes and pool noodles so they could kill the monster. A young Sasuke had told him time and again that sea monsters lived in the sea and that they didn't live in ponds but Naruto was a steadfast believer. Now that Sasuke thought of it, it was Itachi who had put the crazy dream in Naruto's brain. It was the part of the memory that Sasuke preferred not to remember but oh well. It had resulted in Naruto swallowing about 4 gallons of water, Sasuke getting a concussion, and a visit to the ER. And Naruto was still convinced that there still was a monster in that pond. Sasuke slowly turned to Naruto, his face in a rare deadpan.

"Your brain" he said "Is a total devoid"

Naruto took offense and attempted to hit him. Sasuke side stepped and Naruto doubled over as Sakura delivered a punch to his gut.

"Be nice" she said to both of them, though more to Naruto than Sasuke.

"My brain is not a devoid" Naruto whined.

"Right" Ino said. "So...what's a devoid, huh?"

Naruto puffed up to the test. The others looked at him skeptically.

"A devoid is the state of not possessing, untouched by, void, or destitute, usually followed by the word 'of'."

There was a sight silence as they all stared at him. The elevator halted to a stop and the door opened with a ding.

"Told ya" Naruto said smugly as she walked into the elevator.

He was followed by the others and the door moved to close when Tenten slammed the open button. Se had realized what was missing from the scene. Where the other dark haired guy to make a skeptical remark.

"Where's Neji?" she asked.

The other shrugged, truly not having paid attention to his whereabouts. They glanced out the door but Neji was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe he fell asleep somewhere random" Shikamaru suggested.

Ino hit him over the head as he ducked. The brunette winced as her fist landed square on the back of his head. The resounding smack was one that they would have to get used to over time.

"Not everyone's like you" she scolded, crossing her arms.

Hinata leaned to the side, her eyebrows knit together with worry. She had to admit that she worried for her cousin, know how he could be when he wasn't in a good mood. In the lobby, Kakashi was still reading through Icha Icha Paradise and other tourists who were staying at the hotel hoarded towards the receptionist's desk. Two buses pulled into the parking lot and unloaded a huge group of people, most likely all from the same travel agency. As they dragged in luggage and bags it became impossible for anyone to see through the crowd. Tenten stepped out of the elevator.

"I'll go look for him and bring him up" she called behind her. "You guys go on ahead."

"What?" Matsuri yelled.

Tenten waved a hand back as she disappeared between the people. Matsuri tried to step out of the elevator but was nearly run over by the cart that wheeled luggage. Only Gaara's hand on her arm held her back.

"Let her go" he said calmly. "She'll find Neji and bring him back to the room."

Matsuri nodded and stepped back. Sasuke pressed the button that the guy's were on and the doors slid shut.

"I hope she finds him" Sakura said, smiling.

Tenten wove expertly though the crowd. She neatly avoided being hit by a rolling suitcase as its owner, a young mother, chased after it with child in hand. Before she moved on, Tenten stopped the suitcase with her foot and handed the handle to the woman. With a cheery smile, she moved on. Once she reached the other side of the lobby, she saw a door leading to an outdoor area. Neji was most likely somewhere out there. She slipped through the door and turned her head just to see a flash of long brown hair disappearing behind a tall maze like area. She grinned and padded around the corner. Neji was slowing to a walk and Tenten was easily able to catch up.

"Yo, Neji!" she said, sneaking up behind him.

Neji tensed and a hand flashed out in a sharp slice. Tenten was just able to get out of its way.

"What the hell?" she said.

Neji's eyes had held an unfamiliar coldness in the moment that he had turned. It was clear that he had been intent on harming whoever it was. When he realized who it was the pale orbs softened a bit but they were still as hard as ice. Scary, Tenten thought.

"Everyone's waiting upstairs." Tenten said, recovering and trying to be as normal as possible. "I said I'd get you and bring you up."

Neji nodded quietly but his eyes held a dazed look. Tenten could tell that he wasn't really listening to what she said. She walked next to him as they stepped deeper into the maze.

"Hey" she said "Ya, Neji. Are you listening to me at all?"

Neji nodded vaguely, still way out of focus. Tenten's frown deepened. What the hell was he doing? Was he ignoring her on purpose?

"If you're gonna be an ass then I'll just leave."

"Yeah" Neji murmured in reply.

Tenten stopped moving, taken aback by the sudden reply.

"What?"

Neji sighed and turned to look at her. He ran a hand through his hair, obviously agitated.

"Look, Tenten. I really don't want to talk now. Just please, leave me alone."

The sudden wave of slight hostility was a shock to Tenten. Neji had always been cold, yes, but never had he been so totally ignorant or rude to her. She could see that something was messing with him but he had never let his facade drop.

"Neji" she said slowly, her voice steady "I swear there's something wrong with you. And you're being an ass."

Neji's brow creased further. Tenten hoped that she wasn't provoking him anymore than she needed.

"What is it." she asked in a flat out question.

Neji turned to her. He had seen this approach many times, like when his parents had first died. Pity was one thing that he could never stand and never do. Those people who thought they understood what it felt like to be controlled. And maybe some did, he never knew, but he could tell that most didn't. These emotions he had suppressed for a long time. He had opened up to Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Gaara, and he was beginning to lose the anger that built up in him over the span of his teen years. Suddenly, he could feel all of it rushing back. He was pissed off like hell. Hiashi could go die in a hole, and the others could all piss off.

"Neji, just tell me" Tenten said, prodding further for an answer. "I'll try and help if I can. I really will."

Neji stopped walking. Those were the exact same words spoken to him when he had been lead away from his parents' grave that day of the funeral.

_'I'll help if I can'_ they had said.

Didn't they understand that they couldn't help? Death was something that couldn't be experienced just through thought. It was much more than that.

"Tenten." he said quietly "you can't do anything about this"

"How do you know that? I can try."

That did it. Neji whirled on her, his eyes flashing. He really had enough of this.

"Don't you get it?" he said, his voice rising. "There are things that you can't go into. You can't change anything that's already been decided. No matter how you try, nothing is ever going to be the same again. These aren't you're matters. So just stay the hell out of them, Tenten."

Tenten looked at him, anger building up in her. She was starting to get annoyed and she had to admit that his words hurt her. How did he know? Did he know anything about what she had experienced as a child?

"Neji. What the hell are you talking about? Or rather, what the hell is wrong with you? I'm just asking you to tell me what's wrong."

"I've told you already. Stay out of this. Fate has decided everything."

Tenten started growing angrier. She walked straight up to him and glared. Her amber eyes pierced Neji's colorless ones. Neji thought of flames and ashes as he stared into them.

"What is with this 'fate' shit? Fate isn't something that controls us you ass. We control it because we are fate. You can't just submit to it like that."

"I'm getting married."

Tenten blinked at the sudden outburst from the male Hyuuga. It was full of such hate and anger like no other words. Most if it hung in the air but she knew that some of it was directed towards her. They hit her like a bullet. It lodged deep into her and remained there. It was strange. Usually, when those words left a person's mouth, congratulations erupted. But this time only silence received them.

"W-what?" Tenten asked slowly, unable to comprehend those three short words.

Tenten had a lot of three word phrases that might mean a lot to her in her future life, like: I love you, I need you, you are dying, you are beautiful, and all the other crap. This was on the list as well. But she'd hoped to hear it from a close friend like Hinata or Sakura. It was ironic that the first time she was to hear it used by someone she knew was in a way that held coldness. Neji glared at her.

"I told you, I'm getting married. I have a fiancé. Now just leave me the fuck alone."

Tenten backed away slowly. Fate? Utter bullshit. But this was something she couldn't tread on. Neji had pushed her away and refused her help. She quickly turned and walked out of the maze without a word. Neji saw her retreating back and couldn't help but fell relieved. But even then, he knew that in the back of his mind, in the deepest part of his heart, that he had seen he hurt expression on Tenten's face.

It hurt him too.

**A/N: And here ends the short chapter. Once again, it got long so it has been split in two. I am now launching a project:**

**PROJECT PLOT BUNNY**

**Ya, so you all know how my brain won't think up of any good stuff/fluff for fanfics? Well, review, save a plot bunny, and help them save this entire fanfic. Each time you review, you save 2 plot bunnies. You get to name them too! 100****th**** reviewer gets to make 3 plot points for the upcoming omake.**

**Over the rainbow and out.**


	23. Tears, Sadness, and Kindness

05:26

**Ah, slow update. I fail goes in a corner and cries. Okay, back to business, before things get messy I'll explain: This file got erased twice. And my mother's computer is virus ridden. Thank you so much for keeping up with this, you are all amazing! **

**Thanks to: Smartkidmaybe13, memyselfandI98, lovestar96, Zyrr, xAlternativexMusicxGirl, Mitsukai-Love, owl7498, chibi-neko77, Azreal7313, Bookworm73, Crestfallenfeline, and PeaceGirlForever.**

**WARNING: Very mild shonen-ai fluff. Not even that but I think those who don't like the slightest mention of it should be warned.**

**Enjoy**

Tenten swerved out back into the lobby, her pace quickening into a desperate run. Just anything to be free of the dooming pressure. As the brunette cleared one street after another, tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. She angrily swiped at them, wondering why they were there. She wasn't sad. No, not at all. She was just angry as hell. Neji had shown a side that she had never seen or had heard of and the results of it made her want to drop kick the Hyuuga across the flipping British Empire or something like that. She cursed as more tears replaced the ones she wiped away, wetting the tips of her fingers. She abruptly paused in the middle of a street that branched out from a busier one. Her shoulders shook as her hands curled into fists.

"I'm angry, dammit" she said quietly, her voice wavering.

She brought her hands up to her face, searching for some solace in the shadowed darkness. Instead, she was met by a blank fuzziness.

"_Tears are a beautiful thing, huh?" _

A slightly blurred face came to mind as a male voice spoke. It was the same male from before, the one to played the familiar song on such a familiar bass. His name, even his face was so hard to place, but the aura he exerted in her memory was so comforting.

"_See, we cry when we're angry, sad, happy. They express so much more than words ever might. I mean, you don't have to cry to feel the deepest sorrow but what would we do without them? A loss of tears is a scary thing, so it's a blessing, to some point. It doesn't matter if you cry, Ten-chan. It just shows that you're strong enough to submit to it" _

Tenten shook as she took a deep breath. Then she started sobbing into her hands. She knew the amount of tears was over exaggerated but she couldn't remember the last time she had cried so much. Relief flooded her body as she let years of stress, worry, and anger go. Where were these memories coming from? She didn't know, but she was grateful for them. A few minutes later, her sobs slowed and she began to regain her composure. Oh, she was still pissed off but she wouldn't shed a single tear over it. Or, she wouldn't try to, anyway. She sighed shakily and a tear trickled down her cheek. Ah, dammit. She shook her head and started moving again, head down. A few steps later she heard the sound of two people approaching. She hadn't noticed their presence before but their voices could now be distinctly heard.

"But Lovi, _querido_, it's only till we find Ludwig and Feli."

"Why do we have to go look for Potato Bastard, huh?"

"Because he has all of out stuff"

Tenten looked up to see a pair coming towards her. Both were male, and foreign, by the looks of it, yet they spoke in flawless Japanese. One looked Spanish while the other Italian. The taller Spaniard's emerald green eyes sparkled as he argued with the shorter Italian. They were arguing in a rapid mix of languages.

"C'mon Lovi-"

"It's Lovino, _accidenti_!"

"Then try calling me Antonio for once!"

"Hmph, _idiota_"

The Spaniard, Antonio, grinned and flicked Lovino lightly in the forehead. Lovino leaned back into a perfect matrix, still unable to avoid the flick.

"You're so cute when you get pissed off, _querido_" Antonio said, smirking.

Lovino turned red from anger? Embarrassment? Tenten didn't know but he did cause her to laugh quietly to herself. The two looked so hilarious, Lovino still in a half-matrix. Lovino straightened and smacked Antonio's hand in an impressive backhand. Tenten raised an eyebrow at the loud slap that echoed.

"Don't do that, _bastardo_!" he yelled, a wild curl bouncing on the left side of his head.

Antonio kept flicking the shorter Italian as they came closer. Tenten tried to be inconspicuous but the reddish brunette Italian stopped mid sentence to look at her.

"CHIGI! You idiot -"

He blinked, the scowl on his face smoothing out. Tenten noticed a long scar on the left side of his face. It was thin, almost invisible but definitely there. She caught herself staring at it, wondering what had caused it. Lovino stepped forwards a little. Tenten looked away, embarrassed. She hadn't meant for them to spot her so obviously.

"Uh, you okay?" he asked awkwardly, in an almost shyly concerned way.

Tenten struggled to hold back another onslaught of tears. They just wouldn't stop coming, would they? She nodded quickly and made as if to move on when a packet of tissues was shoved in her face. It was unopened and decorated with…tomatoes. She took it, a little surprised and gently wiped away her tears.

"Thank you" she said, bowing in a Japanese fashion.

The Spaniard who had handed her the tissues grinned, a sunny aura exploding from him. Kami, it was probably enough to blind someone.

"No problem" he said, waving a hand nonchalantly. "You looked like you needed them"

Tenten gave a small smile in return. The three started walking again, goodbyes exchanged, when he turned around.

"You know" he said, "It's okay to cry sometimes. It shows that you're strong enough to submit to them"

Tenten froze as they continued to walk, stunned. She whirled to see their retreating figures. She stared at them for a while, before noticing their entwined fingers. They had started speaking to each other again and were loud enough to be heard.

"Isn't that what you told me once?" the Italian asked.

The Spaniard just chuckled and tightened his grip on the other's hand.

"Yeah, and look where we are now." He replied quietly.

The shorter pouted but didn't argue back. Tenten's lips quirked upwards at the sight of them. They looked so happy. It was strange that she had to come across them at such a time. She tucked the tissue packet into her back pocket and turned back towards the way she had been heading. They were right, it was okay to cry. She started walking forwards, not knowing where she was going. Anywhere but back the way she had come from. There was too much light and too much anger that way. Neji's pain and the couple's happiness clashed. Probably enough to make lightning and kill everyone in a hundred mile radius. Well, probably not. Tenten blinked away the last traces of her tears before and put firm smile back onto her face. Tears could help ease the pain but they couldn't take them away. With that, she merged back into the crowd and let the wave of people take her where ever it would.

**MEANWHILE **

The remainder of the bands had arrived to the room and were spread out on the floor. Naruto had been right. There wasn't much they could do, and even though they wouldn't admit it, they were too lazy to think up of something.

So.

F_cking.

Boring.

Then Gaara bolted up. Heads turned as he went to his bag and rummaged through the stuff. As he looked, he started tossing random objects out to make more room for his somewhat frantic search. Sasuke narrowly avoided a glass bottle of red sand that almost shattered as it landed the floor. They started staring at the redhead. This was about as active as they had seen him in a long time. A really long crapload of time.

"Dude" Sasuke drawled. "What the hell are you doing?"

Gaara only responded by chucking another bottle at him. This time he swatted it away and it hit Shikamaru on the forehead. The brunette fell over and rubbed at the reddish mark that had begun to appear on his forehead. Ino cackled in laughter as Hinata giggled into the palm of her hand, trying to be polite while mocking him at the same time. Shikamaru glared at Ino and Sakura as they laughed. Even Sasuke couldn't help snickering at the discontent look on his friend's face. The laughter was silenced sharply as Gaara threw an object down in the middle of them with a dramatically loud snap. What was he thinking, like Jiraiya was going to appear? Naruto tentatively crawled forwards and picked the object up.

"Cool, cards" he said, trying to pick open the pack with his fingernails.

"Not yet" Gaara responded.

He looked around some more and finally set down a set of spoons that scattered neatly as he sat. Shikamaru immediately brightened at the sight of them. He glanced to Sasuke, who's face had split into an amazing grin.

"Oh yes. Spoons. " the black haired teen said, rubbing his hands together, an unnatural sadistic glint in his eyes.

Gaara smiled slightly. He had hoped that bringing the materials would be helpful in taking the group out of their stupor. Naruto started shuffling the cards as they moved into a poorly formed circle.

"Alright!" he said eagerly, dealing. "I say we dare!"

"What? How the hell do you dare in spoons?" Matsuri asked.

"You have to lose a total of five times, to spell out the words S-P-O-O-N, to be the grand loser. Then you have to do the dare set at the beginning."

"Oh, right. So what's the dare?" Sakura said, leaning forwards and arranging the spoons in a flower to match her name.

There was a sheepish silence. They found that it was harder to think of a dare than they had thought. They didn't want to settle for a wussy dare, though none of them would admit that they would prefer it, because what ever dare had been chosen had to be taken to heart. Suddenly, Hinata smirked and her pale eyes changed shades. Everyone turned to look at the female Hyuuga. Hinata didn't smirk, ever.

"Oh no." Ino said.

Sakura and Matsuri caught on as well and they deadpanned. Even as Sakura had been calling on her Inner to help her out Hinata had beaten her to it.

"Don't tell me she called Haruka on purpose" Sakura cried, slowly beginning to figure out why.

Hinata, or rather, Haruka smirked happily to herself. Her facial features were unnaturally smug and made her seem like a different person. Well, in a sense, she was.

"Girl was asking for it" she said "And she knows she can't do dares"

"Yes, but give her body back when you're done" Matsuri scolded.

Haruka shrugged. She clapped her hands together and set them down on the floor, getting down to business.

"Right, now listen up so I can give this bitch back her body and mind." She said cheerfully.

Naruto jumped at the profanities blurting from Hinata's mouth. Sakura bashed Haruka over her head and the longhaired Hyuuga winced at the strength as she doubled over from the impact.

"Okay, okay, I get it...geez, crazy ass bitch..." she muttered, rubbing her head.

Sakura hit her again while Ino hit the other side of her head. Haruka fell over from the pain and lay on the ground, whining.

"Just get it over with" Sasuke said, getting annoyed.

Haruka glared at him but calmed down and put on a serious face and sighed.

"Right, so the jyst of it is that two people, run with megaphone, go singing choice song through the streets, wearing..." she paused for dramatic effect, posing with one hand poised elegantly to the side "...smashingly pink sparkling cocktail dresses."

There was a silence while everyone took in the dare. It was strange, and quite...er...daring. Shikamaru raised a hand in objection.

"Where the hell would we get these 'smashingly pink sparkly cocktail dresses'?" he questioned, making quotation marks in the air.

Haruka motioned to Sakura, who went to her own bag and ruffled through it. Ino threw a pointed look at the Hyuuga, who rolled her eyes in return. Then she closed her eyes and opened them almost immediately.

"Oh…" Hinata said quietly, putting a hand to her head, as if just awakening from a daze. "Is everyone alright?"

Naruto grinned goofily at her, making her blush to the roots of her hair. It was clear that Hinata had fully returned to her true self. Sakura shouted out a loud 'ha' in success as she brought over two 'smashingly pink sparkly cocktail dresses'. She fanned them out in a semi circle and allowed the others to peer at them.

They're beautiful" Hinata said, not knowing that she herself had suggested their usage.

"Ya, like, they're really good quality too" Ino added, appreciatively rubbing the fabric between her fingers.

The guys on the other hand, showed no interest in them and eyed them warily. They hadn't expected for anyone to have two dresses right at hand. Sasuke narrowed his onyx eyes and stared at Sakura. The pinkette blushed lightly as she looked down, grinning to herself.

"I've always had a slight, really tiny, weakness for sparkly pink stuff and I saw these in a window so…"she mumbled quietly.

"I KNEW IT!" Naruto yelled, snatching up the dresses.

The blonde struggled to fit the dress over his head, almost falling over into Gaara's lap as he did so. Ino lunged at him, not being able to watch the dress get tortured any longer. Sakura reached for her dress too, wincing as she heard a thread snap as Naruto and Ino flailed around. As the three tangled over the dress, the others sat by and amusedly watched, Hinata blushing, the others either smirking or laughing.

"You pull down the zipper first, dobe" Sasuke said.

The three paused and looked at him. With a sigh, the Uchiha stood up and went over to Naruto, expertly straightening the dress on his figure and zipping up the back. He finished by arranging the straps and stepped back to take a look. The other stared at his with weird looks on their faces. Sasuke Uchiha had not just put a dress on Naruto and made it look beautifully normal. Because no, he didn't know how to put on a dress and no, he had not ever worn one. Right? Naruto posed and gave a coy grin. Shikamaru gagged and fell over dramatically, trusting Gaara to catch him. When Gaara saw the teen falling at him, he stepped back quickly, wincing as Shikamaru hit the floor with a loud thud. The pineapple haired teen groaned in annoyance and flopped uncharacteristically. Everyone else shrugged and resumed back into the circle, Naruto joining them after he flung off the dress.

"Ok, lets do this thing!" Sakura yelled, pumping a fist into the air.

"Who wants to deal?" Gaara asked lazily, holding the pack of cards out for everyone.

Hinata timidly raised her hand. Everyone looked at her, a little shocked, but they knew better than to underestimate a Hyuuga. Gaara handed over the cards and Hinata dealt out four cards to each player.

"Um, Ok…I'm starting now" she said.

The others were wondering why she had to warn them when Sasuke, who was on Hinata's left felt her hand lash out. He looked down to see that she had set down a card in front of him. He picked it up and discarded it, only to find two more cards in front of him. Hinata's hands were flying all over the places, reviewing and discarding cards. Sasuke picked up the pace and started going by three cards.

"Dude, slow down!" Naruto yelled loudly.

"Uh, ya!" Ino interjected, sliding cards by with out even looking at them.

Sakura, who was at the end of the line watched as cards piled up. Hinata reached for the recycled pile and started all over again.

'_damn, this girl is quick'_ she thought as she struggled to keep up with her own cards.

The pinkette looked at her cards. Three Jacks and one eight. Just one more jack to go and she would win. Her hand robotically reached out for another cards when a flash of platinum blond blocked her vision.

"What the hell?" she asked.

Ino merely cackled in response, waving the last spoon in the pinkette's face.

"Gotta pay attention, love" she said in a motherly tone.

Sakura looked down to see that all of the spoons were gone. Everyone but her held one in their hand. She set down her cards and cursed. Gaara threw a pen at her and Sakura caught it. What was it with the redhead and throwing things? Sakura reluctantly wrote a perfect 's' onto the back of her hand. When she set it down, her green eyes blazed. It was about time those idiots started feeling the wrath of pink.

Sparkly Pink.

Neji calmly sat in the garden. He hadn't left his spot since he and Tenten had argued. In fact, he had barely moved. The Hyuugas pale eyes lazily viewed the garden. He had come to a conclusion. He found that he didn't care about anything anymore. Anything besides the band. He just couldn't bring himself to let that go. That had been his one link to freedom, and it always would be. He couldn't give up on them now, not after how far they had come. He sighed quietly to himself as he stood up and straightened out his clothes. He really needed to sort things out in his head right now. As he started to walk, subjects starting floating to the surface of his consciousness. Walking always did that to him, maybe because it reminded him of his parents. He wondered about his fiancé. Even thinking about it made him wince in displeasure. Who wants a fiancé when they're only 16? Would she be totally bitchy? Would she be an utter push over that can't think for herself? Would she be ugly as hell and bitchy at the same time? Neji made a face at no one in particular. She most likely would be all of the above, considering all the rich girls he had known in the past few years. All of them, besides Hinata, were utter brats or major pushovers. Every single one of them. It disgusted him to see how money had pushed them into who they were. The Hyuuga kicked at a small rock in front of him. It tumbled over itself and landed a few feet short of the boardwalk. He had somehow made his way towards the beach during his internal rant of thoughts. He couldn't even remember how far he had walked. He had just been on autopilot for the past…minutes, hours? With a scowl etched into his face, he gave the pebble a final kick that landed it in the sand and walked down the wooden steps of the boardwalk. He then turned and automatically started walking parallel to the beach. He was entertaining himself by kicking at useless sand when a high-pitched but obviously male voice broke through his thoughts.

"Veh! Look, Ludwig! It's the ocean!"

Neji looked up, annoyed. What sort of guy screamed like that? A pale auburn haired and probably Italian young man crossed his path, a strange curl in his hair bouncing out of control. He ran into the surf and gently splashed around, beaming. He was shortly followed by a taller, pale haired German who was presumably Ludwig. The German's blue eyes sparkled in annoyance and worry. Neji stopped to watch the two, the foreigners gaining his interest.

"Feliciano" Ludwig said in a stern voice "We seriously do need to find your brother and Antonio."

Feliciano turned and pouted "But we just got here" he whined, kicking up the water "And I'm sure _fratello_ and big brother Antonio are doing okay"

Ludwig closed his eyes as Feliciano continued to splash around some more. Neji could have sworn that he heard a soft whisper of _'mein gott'_ escape the blonde's mouth. The Hyuuga smirked, almost seeming like his normal self. They were such a strange pair. Neji sat heavily in the sand, letting the late sunlight reflect off his face. That reminded him of his parents too.

"Firefly, huh" he murmured.

A lot of things seemed to be reminding him of his parents. If they had never died, if they were still here, would he have had to go through all of this? Maybe he would be back at the hotel right now with everyone else, what ever they were doing. And maybe he'd be laughing with a brother or a sister. So many things could have happened and it wasn't the first time he wished. A slight squeal caused him to look back up at the German and Italian. Feliciano was running back towards the shore with a….wait, was that a crab in his hand? Neji choked on his spit as he saw the brunette waving a bright scarlet crab in the air like it was a flipping flag or something. Ludwig too choked and bolted up. He ran for the shorter Italian and grabbed the crab out of his hands in an expert swipe.

"Veh?" Feliciano said, blinking in confusion.

Ludwig turned in one fluid motion and power chucked the crap back into the ocean, where it disappeared with a sparkle of a splash. Then the blonde turned back to Italian with a stern look on his face.

"Feliciano, I told you not to pick up random things like that" he scolded.

Feliciano winced at the words. He looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry Ludwig, you know how I am when I get excited."

Ludwig's eyes softened and he sighed "I know. Now, we should get back."

Feliciano grinned mischievously.

"5 more minutes Ludwig!" he yelled, shooting off back into the ocean.

Ludwig was met with a splash of sand and he cursed, spitting the sand out of his mouth. Neji smirked. They were amusing to watch, almost like TV. The Hyuuga directed his gaze back to the sand at his feet. He sifted it through his fingers and methodically watched it drift back to Earth. If only things were just as orderly as gravity. Always there, always steady. Just when the last of the sand had left his fingers, he felt a breath of air at the back of his neck. Neji whirled at godspeed, only to find himself face to face with a wide eyed Feliciano. They were earnest eyes, Neji noted. Olive flecked and burning with softly lit coals. Neji blinked awkwardly, frowning slightly. Feliciano backed up a little.

"You okay?" he asked cheerfully.

Neji shrugged.

"Um...yeah, I'm fine"

Feliciano nodded, grinning. His eyes told Neji that the Italian knew better. Feliciano sighed and looked up at the orange sky.

"You know" he said "There are better things to do in life than to mope around."

Neji blinked, shocked. Then he grew sour on the inside. What did he know? Feliciano looked like he'd never suffered a hardship ever in his life. In return, Feliciano grinned at him, his eyes hinting that he knew what Neji was thinking.

"Feliciano!" Ludwig called.

Feliciano turned around and waved a hand at the German, who had started back towards to beach walk.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there!" he yelled back.

The brunette quickly turned back to Neji and gave one last smile.

"Feel better, kay?" he said, encouragingly.

Neji nodded as he watched Feliciano run after Ludwig, yelling as he went. As he ran Neji could just barely make out a scar on his right cheek. It was long and thin. It glinted in the dying sunlight, making it more obvious. Maybe he'd under estimated him. Neji looked back to the dying sun, his eyes momentarily ablaze. With a sigh, he leaned back and let the soft sand catch him. He closed his eyes slowly. From the darkness, he could see his parents again. They were on the hill, backed up by a beautiful blue sky. His mother smiled softly at him, her long hair swaying gently in a breeze he couldn't see.

"Better things in life to do" she said, echoing Feliciano.

Neji blinked his eyes open, immediately blinded by light. He sighed. He wouldn't care. He wouldn't allow himself to. With that he closed his eyes again and settled deeper into the sand.

"Tou-san, Kaa-san..." he murmured "...where are you now?"

**THE HOTEL SUITE**

"NOOOOOOOOO! DAMMIT!"

Naruto rolled around on the floor like some kid as he wailed about his fate.

"I'LL BE SCARRED FOR LIFE! I'LL DIE!"

Sasuke hit him roughly on the head, silencing him for just a moment. The blonde winced as he sat up properly.

"Rather" Sasuke started in a seriously annoyed tone "_We're_ gonna be scarred for life and die"

Sakura smirked at the pair. Everyone else had gotten off free except for Naruto and Gaara. Naruto lost by one round and Gaara had simply agreed to take mercies for everyone. No one questioned him because, really Gaara probably didn't give a shit about running around in a dress singing like there's no tomorrow. Naruto sighed and pouted to himself.

"So, not fair" he muttered, crossing his arms.

"You just noticed?" Shikamaru yelled from across the room.

The pineapple haired teen yawned as he grabbed one of the dresses and threw it at Naruto, which earned him a smack from Ino. Naruto caught the dress and attempted to stretch it out, maybe to see if he could make it a size bigger. Sakura took a hit to him for that and he sat down like an obedient dog. Ino handed off the other one to Gaara who stood up, took it, and retreated to the bathroom. Everyone stared intently at the door as they waited. 2 minutes later, they stopped after their eyes had started watering and after the lights started flicking on and off in the bathroom and they started hearing crashes. Several bangs later Matsuri giggled and stood up.

"I'll go help Gaara with this one. Apparently the ninja can't take it" she said.

She went over to the door and knocked "I'm coming in, Gaara" she said.

The door slightly opened and Naruto lunged for a look, curious to see what the ninja looked like in an effeminate dress. Okay, fine. All dresses are effeminate. As he was flying through mid air, Ino tackled him by the legs and brought him down. It was a beautiful football tackle that anyone would have been proud of.

"Where the hell did you learn that?" Sasuke asked, his voice hinting admiration and suspiciousness.

Ino set Naruto up on the side of a bed and pointed at Shikamaru.

"Our dads" she explained. "They put us through a lot of pain, trying to attack us as kids. The old guys are vicious I tell you. You'd have to learn something like that to survive."

Hinata laughed at the thought when the door to the bathroom clicked open and Matsuri stepped out. Her eyes were shining with mirth but she kept her laughter in.

"Gaara, you can come out now" she said in strangled voice.

Gaara reluctantly stepped out, his face in a neutral deadpan. The dress hung on his lanky frame and ended around his knees. It almost suited him, actually. Shikamaru choked on laughter and fell back into Naruto who pushed him off into Sasuke. Sasuke merely 'hn'ed and stood up to stand next to Sakura.

"You look beautiful, gorgeous" cheered Ino, causing Gaara to almost pout.

Keyword: almost.

As Gaara sat down in a chair Naruto was forced to go get changed.

"Your turn, idiot" Sakura said cheerfully, dragging him by his ear.

Naruto whined as he started turning slightly pink in the face. Maybe it was from embarrassment or pain or simple blood loss. One way or another, it looked funny. The minute the blonde was shoved inside the bathroom, the door was locked and all of them could swear from the freakishly loud curse that he had fallen over. A splash indicated that something might have fallen in the toilet.

"I hope that wasn't Neji's hair stuff" Sasuke muttered, smirking.

Hinata shook her head, her long hair falling in waves as she remembered incidents of her cousin's hair products. It was a year ago, maybe longer, that the guys had learned not to mess with Neji's stuff. And of course, it was Naruto who had started it. Gaara stood up and walked to the door.

"Don't tell me that was Neji's conditioner in the toilet cause he'll have a hissy fit if he find a single speck of toilet bacteria on it"

The banging stopped immediately and an image of Naruto shuddering passed through everyone's head. Then it started all over again and he started flailing around some more. Sakura sidled up to Hinata and put an arm around her shoulders. Ino went to her other side and did the same while Matsuri stood in from of her, on hand on her hip and the other inches from the female Hyuuga's nose.

"Ne ne, Hina-chan" Sakura said "I think Naruto needs some help with this"

Hinata immediately froze. A blush started creeping up her face, tingeing it pale pink. Ino bit her tongue in an attempt to keep from laughing as she spoke.

"I can't think of anyone at the moment…." She sang, looking away as if to think.

"…but you!" Matsuri finished, lightly tapping Hinata on the forehead.

Hinata started shaking as she blushed deeper, if such a thing was possible. Ino and Sakura let go of her and they gently pushed her towards the door.

"Unlock the door, dobe" Sasuke called. "You've got company"

The door opened a little and Hinata stepped in. There was a mute silence and in less than 3 minutes the door opened to reveal Naruto in the same pink dress. Hinata looked like a tomato had exploded all over face as she hurriedly ran away to the other side of the room. Naruto pouted like a kid and sat heavily on the floor.

"I look like an ass" he muttered.

Sakura took pity on him and patted him gently on the forehead, trying to sound somewhat motherly.

"You look like a beautiful young lady, like you should…if you were a girl"

Naruto rolled his eyes in return and turned to see a set of speakers shoved into his face. He looked up to see Sasuke handing another set to Gaara. Gaara silently took them and looked at Naruto. The look in his eyes clearly read: _'lets get this shit done and over with'_. Naruto sighed and squared his shoulders. No use moping around now. He stood up and took a stance like some sort of track star. He was glaring at the door in determination. Gaara came to stand next to him and Naruto nodded.

"Okay, lets do this thing"

With that he charged for the door, the fire of Kyuubi starting to blaze around him. Ino lunged for the door, opening it just in time for Naruto to crash through it and for Gaara to follow. On his way out, the redhead turned back and gave a reassuring nod to the remainder of the bands, shutting the door behind him. Everyone ran from the far side of the room to the windows that overlooked the street that housed the entrance of the hotel.

"Can you see them?" Matsuri asked, pushing aside the heavy curtains.

They all scanned the crowds of people for any sign of their familiar duo but none was to be found. Then Hinata squeaked and stabbed the glass, pointing.

"There!" she said.

Sure enough, in between the nondescript bunches of people, two figures in unmistakably pink sparkly dresses burst into the street. All of them could see a slight murmur ripple through the crowd as Naruto scrolled through his iPod. He briefly showed it to Gaara who nodded in consent. Then, with a press of a button, an electronic techno beat exploded from the speakers on both of their shoulders. People around them winced form the wild noise but Naruto and Gaara took off. Naruto was practically screaming his head off while Gaara was singing in a calm but loud voice. Their voices carried and it took a few minutes for people to realize that the powerful male voices were erupting from 'girls' in sparkly pink dresses. Sakura started choking on her own laughter and sank to the floor, where Ino had already fallen. Sasuke was laughing, tears starting to spark in the corners of his eyes as he held a hand onto Shikamaru's shoulder for support. It wasn't much help that Hinata had collapsed or that Shikamaru was laughing to hard to be of any help. When the two had disappeared from view the band members up in the room calmed down. Sasuke flicked away a stray tear that threatened to fall.

"Kami" he said, grinning "We'll just have to wait until they get back, huh." He said, sitting in a chair.

Sakura nodded and sat on the floor, the others coming to sit as well. Matsuri sighed and took one last glance out the window.

"By the way…" Ino asked "…Where's Tenten and Ice Bitch?"

The others fidgeted. The absence of the two had been slightly eerie. At first they'd dismissed it, thinking that they'd come back. Neji had been in a fowl mood and the guys knew that whenever things like this happened, to leave him alone. Every time it happened, he always managed to calm down and come back, stoic as ever. Tenten though, didn't know that and the others couldn't help but think of the worst. They both had tempers that would spark fires and cause wars. If they'd gotten lost or if they'd gotten, Kami forbid, kidnapped, then the band and Tsunade would have injured convicts to deal with. Shikamaru set a reassuring hand on Ino's shoulders.

"I'm sure they'll be fine" he said, smiling a little.

Ino nodded earnestly in return. She turned back to the circle just in time to see Hinata scraping up the remainder of the cards into her hands.

"So" she said, hoping to distract everyone "…about we play another round?"

Tenten heard a commotion ahead of her. She rose slightly on her tiptoes to try to see above the heads of the milling crowd. She was thinking about going forwards, and just as she tipped forwards on her toes, the crowd broke apart and two figures burst from it. They sped past the brunette and Tenten was just barely able to see sparkles of pink flying off the dresses. Tenten blinked and turned. She'd seen a lot of strange things in the past months but this was something new. She squinted at the backs of the retreating figures. The shoulders sticking out of the crossed backs were too broad to be any girls and the red and blonde locks were cut extremely short. Not that she was saying the girls couldn't have short hair either. Anyhow, Tenten was starting to move after them. They seemed extremely familiar and the brunette was starting to have her suspicions. She winced as she imagined who it could be. Really, she only knew one guy with that distinct red hair and that ninja like gait. Tenten facepalmed as she took off in a sprint. She was going to find these 'girls'.

"Oi!" she yelled after them.

The two seemed not to hear her but Tenten could have sworn that they upped their speed. The three of them were practically flying now, only touching down on flat ground to push off again. Tenten gritted her teeth and tried to run faster. Then she saw the two girls stopped by a car. The car was black and white. It was flashing too. Tenten cursed as she turned into a side alley. It was a police car for sure. Tenten desperately hoped that she'd gotten the wrong people. She hoped that if she was right, that they had gotten away. She leaned back on the wall and slid towards edge of the alley. She turned her head to see the lights of the police car flashing rapidly. The two girls were now arguing with two policemen. Tenten inched closer until she was able to hear their voices.

"I swear we weren't doing anything!" Naruto wailed.

The young policeman had a stern look on his face, as if he'd dealt with people like this before. As they argued Gaara just stood off to the side. He knew that it was better to argue for their innocence when they weren't in such a ridiculous get up but he let Naruto talk. He wasn't about to stop him anyway or the other two policemen, for that matter. Just when the argument REALLY got started a figure stepped from an alley and walked over to the four. Gaara looked up sullenly and raised an eyebrow at the figure. Tenten merely nodded to him and he stepped back, waving a silent hand at the three arguing.

"All yours" the redhead said quietly.

Tenten grinned in return and she went up to tap the shoulder of the younger police officer.

"Excuse me" she said in formal Japanese. "I'm sorry but I can explain this"

Naruto turned and froze. He threw a finger at her face as she searched for his voice.

"Y-y-you!" the blonde said "Tenten!"

Tenten nodded in greeting before turning back to the policemen. Both were looking at her weirdly, wondering where this random girl had come from. Tenten smiled graciously. From the back Gaara noted how Tenten's posture had changed. Her back was straighter, head held up higher, and she exuded a confident aura. She seemed older. As Naruto continued to quietly sputter at her presence, Tenten started explaining.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that my friends aren't quite themselves at the moment. They're under the influence of candy" She said, smiling "My friend, the blonde one, has a bipolar disorder that gets quite severe if he forgets to take his medications."

The officer raised his eyebrows in suspicion and glanced at Naruto. Then he sighed and his shoulders sagged.

"Look, kids, I don't know what's happened to you but I've dealt with drunks and addicts much worse. I'm letting you slide, go home"

The three teens stared in stunned silence. He was letting them go? Just like that? Then Gaara stepped forwards and bowed politely

"Thank you sir" he said, motioning behind his back for the other s to bow as well.

Naruto and Tenten quickly followed suit and they left before the officer could change his mind. Once a good distance away, they slowed into a slow stroll. Naruto started cackling as they walked.

"That was great!" he crowed as he nearly danced.

Tenten laughed, his happiness being contagious. The blonde had immediately brought her spirits up.

"Thank you Naruto" she said, grinning.

Naruto looked back at the brunette, a confused look on his face. He didn't get it but it made him happy to see other people happy. He flashed a grin back at her and waved a peace sign.

"Okay!" he yelled.

Tenten laughed out loud again, watching him run ahead. Naruto ran up to a group of girls and before they knew it, he was chatting with them. When the girls pointed at his dress he winked and twirled, causing them to laugh.

"That's Naruto for you" Tenten said.

Gaara chuckled from where he stood. The redhead was strangely calm and collected. Tenten glanced at him and he turned to look at her.

"What?" he asked.

"You're really calm, considering what's been going on" she said.

Gaara smiled a little and shook his hair from his eyes. He looked over to Tenten, the smile still on his face. Tenten thought that he looked more alive than she had ever seen him before.

"You know when you said Naruto was bipolar?" he asked.

Tenten nodded, wondering why he asked. It was just the first thing that had popped into her mind. Gaara looked at her and sighed. He was still eerily resolute.

"Right. So you heard about Shukaku back this Halloween." He said "Did you really get what it was?"

Tenten shook her head. What did this have to do with anything? She'd just assumed that Shukaku was something like Naruto's Kyuubi. In the distance Naruto was still talking with the girls, now treating them to food from the stalls that lined the street. She turned back to Gaara who had patiently waited to continue.

"I'll set this straight then. Shukaku is really sort of like Kyuubi but it has more of a power. It doesn't make me destructive like Naruto but it…."

Gaara trailed off and winced a little, as if remembering something from the past that he didn't want to. Tenten raised an eyebrow and looked at him expectantly.

"…it made me almost homicidal" he finished.

Tenten blinked. Homicidal? That was the last thing that she had been expecting to come from Gaara. Homicidal didn't really fit the slim teen. Gaara sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. He almost looked relieved that Tenten hadn't flipped. In truth, none of his true friends had. That's how he could tell that they really knew him. If he decided to trust people then they deserved to know the monster he once was.

"My mother died when I was very young. She was weak after my birth. And my father. He hated me because I couldn't seem to handle 'Shukaku'. That's what I called her when I was a kid. I can't remember why but Shukaku was what it always told me."

"Told you?" Tenten asked.

Gaara smirked. "Yeah. That's what it told me. They, the doctors and physicians, they didn't understand. They though I was bipolar."

Tenten breathed in a quick puff of air and cringed. She really shouldn't have said bipolar, right? The brunette looked to Gaara to see if he was angry but he just blinked at her.

"Yeah." He said. "So I had to live through a lot of that for my life. I was homicidal, I had something strange in me and they all thought I was bipolar, and I was isolated from my family. You know, I never really got to know Temari and Kankuro until just a few years ago."

Tenten nodded "I see….is your father still running the company?"

Gaara winced and smiled sadly. Tenten almost regretted mentioning him at all.

"He died" he said simply "It not too long ago."

"I'm sorry" Tenten said quietly. "I didn't mean to…"

"No, don't worry." Gaara replied. "I learned a lot from my father the night he died. I'd thought for all my life, that he hated me. That I was useless to him, that I was nothing. I resented my mother because she'd left me. I'd been told repeatedly that she'd never loved me."

Tenten raised an eyebrow. That was harsh, and suddenly, she found herself wishing that she knew her parents too.

"And then, one night, it was raining really hard. My father's car was driving home after a long conference" Gaara waved a hand at the surrounding town "In fact, the conference was held here, by the sea. We, my siblings and I, were expecting him home soon. And then we got a phone call. His car had been trashed by another car. It was a hit and run and it was too rainy to see anything. They just knew that the car was a big black truck. We were rushed to the hospital and told that he had no chance of surviving. We all went in and Temari and Kankuro stayed with him for a while. I didn't go near him, not even when he was mortally injured. And then, he suddenly ordered Temari and Kankuro out. He called for me and for some reason I went to him. He looked regretful. I'll never forget the words that he said to me"

Tenten looked at him. That was a lot of speaking for the redhead. She wondered if he'd told this story to all of his friends. She was happy that Gaara considered her a friend.

"He said _'Gaara, are you not yourself now…is Shukaku still in you?_' I'd thought that he didn't care enough to even look through my medical reports at that time. Shukaku had subdued two years before. I told him what had happened. I'd met Sasuke, Neji, Naruto, and Shikamaru. He was shocked, even through the wires and tubes going through him_. 'Gaara, you've truly grown…the only thing a parent needs is to trust in his children…and that in itself has a true value. Gaara…your mother was right after all….I…Karura…I have a bad sense of value, don't I? Your mother loved you...I'm sorry' _After that he died…and he redeemed himself in my eyes. He was my father…and just my father. I finally felt at peace"

Gaara's eyes had softened and seemed to be glowing from the inside. He wasn't really seeing the world anymore. He was just looking up into the sky, a small smile gracing his lips. It was clear that he felt better now that he'd told his story. Tenten sighed and smiled.

"That's great. I wish I had known my parents" she said.

"HEY YOU GUYS!"

The two looked up to see Naruto racing towards them, his dress flapping. Behind him, the girls were waving cheerfully. When he reached the two he read the serious mood and guessed what had happened.

"Gaara's dad, huh?" Naruto said.

Tenten nodded before suggesting that they go on back to the hotel.

"So, who were they?" Tenten asked, jokingly.

Naruto beamed and shrugged innocently.

"Just a few ladies I met" he sang.

Tenten punched him lightly in the arm and he shied away. Naruto was seriously a spaz. But in a good way. AS the trio walked to the hotel, the sky darkened and soon they were encased in darkness. The only light came from the lights of the stores and the bright streetlights. By the time they reached the hotel, the remainder of the bands were at the lobby, waiting for their return.

"Tenten!" Sakura said, rushing forwards and tackling her friend.

Tenten laughed and returned the hug, pulling Ino, Matsuri, and Hinata into it. Naruto and Gaara were immediately swamped by Shikamaru and Sasuke, the girls following soon after.

"You pulled it off, dobe" Sasuke said, smirking.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him and made a face.

"Ya think I couldn't, teme?" he shot back, attacking the Uchiha and grabbing him in a chokehold.

Sasuke quickly twisted out of it and grabbed Naruto's arm, twisting behind his back.

"You got ninja'd!" sang Sakura.

Naruto rolled his eyes as the group waited for the elevator to take them up to their rooms. Shikamaru flipped out his phone and took a good look at it. He flipped around in several angles, bending it to the light.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ino asked

Shikamaru shut his phone and neatly tucked into his back pocket.

"I set the screen with the time rotating around the border. I accidentally made it too fast" he replied, sheepishly.

With a quick ding, the doors slid open on the guys' floor. They all filed out with Naruto giving a slight wave back. They stopped outside in the hallway and Tenten stabbed the 'stay open' button before the elevator closed on them

"It's almost 10 now" Shikamaru said. "You guys should get some practice in before meeting with Kakashi-sensei at the lobby. We'll find Neji before midnight."

Matsuri nodded affirmative and Tenten let the door close. They rode up and gathered some supplies before moving on to a practice room, where their instruments had already been set up.

"Let's get this started" Ino said, tuning up her guitar.

She asked for Hinata to play an 'E' and Sakura and Matsuri tuned into the right pitch as well. Tenten sat idly as they ran through a few warm up lines. She thought back to how Neji hadn't returned and frowned to herself, anger starting to boil up again. Before she could let it out Hinata pressed into the beginning chords of the first song that they were to play. It was a very simple melody, one that would be good to set up the crowd. Tenten found herself losing it to the music. It helped with pent up anger, and though the others of the band sent looks at each other and Tenten, the brunette didn't notice. She just went on smashing at her drum set, not caring if she drowned out any other existing sound.

**LATER**

The girls had arranged to meet Kakashi at the lobby around 11: 15. It would take about 15 minutes for them to haul their stuff into a van and arrive at the stage. By the time they arrived, many of the remaining bands had started to unload their instruments and sign in backstage. Kakashi hopped out from shotgun and pulled open the van girls for the door.

"Welcome to the New Dawn Stage" he said, smiling.

The girls stepped out, a little dazed form the messy van ride. Their driver had not been merciful.

"My God"

The girls stood standing, staring up at the stage. The New Dawn Stage was seriously something. The large empty elevated floor spread across the beach and was covered with lights and a huge stereo system. It wasn't overdone but it wasn't completely bare either. The simple balance made it stand out from the others. The backdrop of the stage was a silvery sheen of transparent cloth that faded from red to orange, yellow to pink, deep purple to pale violet. It really did resemble a new dawn.

"Wow…it's amazing" Hinata said, stepping up and running a had across the sleek black floor.

Kakashi smiled and watched the girls from the back, his hands tucked into his pockets. He was confident of their performance, he was sure that they'd do good. What he was worried about, was Neji. He hadn't heard word of him since that afternoon. With a sigh, the silver haired man ushered the girls backstage and sat them down in a corner of the large room. From time to time, they peeked through the black curtains. Each time another girl went, the more nervousness they brought. They were in such a tourist district and so many people were out there. Even Orochimaru. The prospect of finally having to deal with a bigger crowd and the balance of the finals dawned on them. They didn't meet each others' eyes but they knew that they had to somehow prove themselves to the music world, that they weren't just a new group. Kakashi crossed his arms and walked briskly over to the girl from where he had been standing. The girls looked up to see him looming over them.

"Look" he said, turning serious. "You guys can do this, got it? I trust you."

The girls sat in silence. Kakashi meant well and they knew that but it didn't really disperse the heavy knot in their stomachs. Kakashi sighed and shook his head. Girls would be girls. He knelt down until he was able to look directly into their eyes.

"Look how far you've come" he said. "You are new, you're something that they haven't seen before. You need to give them what they don't expect, cause I can see it in you guys."

Sakura smiled a little, as did the others.

"Have you ever thought of managing a band, sensei?" Matsuri asked.

Kakashi smirked and straightened, his one eye curving into a crescent moon that told the girls that he was smiling under his mask. None of them could tell what he was thinking.

"You never know" he mused, strolling away.

Tenten laughed as she watched his retreating figure. He hadn't done much but it had solved her problem. The other girls seemed to loosen up too. Nervousness was now replaced with excitement and anxiety.

"Let's do this!" Ino yelled, throwing her hand down front.

The others slapped their hands against hers and Ino called out a cheer that would have made any cheerleader proud. Maybe a little too loud for that.

"I say Ignorant you say Bliss!"

"IGNORANT!"

"BLISS"

"IGNORANT!"

"BLISS!"

"IGNORANT!"

"BLISS!

"KICKS ASS!" she finished, pumping her fist in the hair.

Hinata almost giggled as she sat back down. The shy girl seemed more confident now. In fact, all of them did. Well, almost. Tenten was scanning the room for the guys. Kakashi was talking into his phone and she say him turn to the door. She spotted the guys walk in with their instruments and Sasuke made a beeline for Kakashi. A worried look crossed Tenten's face.

Neji wasn't with them. After they she had run away from the hotel, she hadn't known what had happened to him.

'_tch, Hyuuga bastard'_ she thought to herself.

And even as she thought that, she couldn't help but be a little worried. A small thought tugged at the corner of her mind.

'_I'm getting married'_

She winced and turned her head away from the rest of the people in the room. Now she felt somewhat guilty, as if it had been her fault that he hadn't shown his face. And then she thought again of his cold demeanor. The idiot would find his way back, probably appearing at the last minute. With that, she let the thought leave her mind and leave her at peace. She had other things to worry about at moment.

Across the room, Sasuke nervously plucked at the strings of his bass. Neji was still no where to be found. The Uchiha facepalmed and groaned to himself. It was just like the round before, except that Neji was the only one missing, and the song they were playing had a duet and separate vocals. Shikamaru sat on an amp and held his head in his hands. Naruto and Gaara hadn't returned from their search and even though there was plenty of time left before their turn, both of them know that Neji was never late for anything. Punctuality had been driven into him for years and years on end. Shikamaru abruptly looked up to Sasuke.

"Do you know all the lyrics?" he asked "If Neji doesn't show, you'll have to wing it"

Sasuke frowned but squared his shoulders. He hadn't ever seen Neji as bad as this since he had first met him.

"Yeah, su-"

The doors opened gently as Neji slipped in. His face was a blank mask that was literally unreadable. Sasuke got up and walked over to him.

"Neji, where the hell have you been?"

The Hyuuga looked away. His pale eyes were dead to most of the world.

"I..I was just in town" he said quietly.

Sasuke slightly raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Even so, he didn't ask about what had happened. Sasuke had learned to stay out of people's business, or at least business this serious, a long time ago. And in return, people stayed out of his. That was the way he liked things to be. Neji walked swiftly past Sasuke and Shikamaru, barely showing recognition towards either of them. The two of them stood in silence. It was a bad thing to remember Neji like this, how he had been so many years ago. They thought that he had finally pulled out of that stage. When they had first met him, he had been impossibly angsty, just as much as Sasuke, maybe worse. The Uchiha had immediately hated him, battling his own hate against his. And then came Naruto, Shikamaru, and eventually Gaara. The one thing that drew them together was the hate that they all seemed to hold inside them. Most of the time, it wasn't visible, like in Naruto or Shikamaru, but they all knew. So, before their friendship, before their understanding, they had hated each other. It was almost incredible. Most people wouldn't believe the situation that it had been. Neji had always lived in Konoha, and had attended the several levels of prestigious academies as a child before Sasuke came along. He had come the year Neji had started 3rd grade and he had been as cold as Neji. The kids were not afraid of the little Hyuuga, per say, in fact, he was quite popular back then, but they kept away from him. He seemed to dislike anyone, despite his cute features, especially Hinata. He was looked at from a distance, talked about from a distance, as if his existence was merely temporary. Neji hated that and it only made him hate them more. And then, on one softly lit Thursday morning came a new kid. He was short, dark haired, dark eyed, and certainly pissed off. Neji took one look at him and as onyx and pale lavender eyes clashed they threw a single message at each other. You piss me off. Things had collapsed after that. Teachers loved both of them but they shot masked hate at each other. It only grew worse when Shikamaru, who had transferred from another school, arrived. The seemingly lazy and indifferent boy had an insensible hate. The same message constantly flowed between the three of them. I can hate more than you can. I can hate you and everyone else. A year later, Naruto came to live with Sasuke. He was sent to the same foster home and same orphanage as the Uchiha. His somewhat bright demeanor no doubt annoyed all three of the prior. Sasuke positively hated the blonde's guts and it became his life mission to break him. Unwillingly, perhaps by sub consciousness, the other two added Naruto to their list of hits. Little did they know how much Naruto despised everyone he saw around them. That bright facade was the only thing they knew about him. It wasn't real, like many things would be. As the years passed, Gaara came when they entered the 5th grade. His hate was really obvious and the other four amassed to it. Hate drew hate, like they would find out. It happened sometime in February, well past Valentines Day. Like they had hoped, they started breaking and the five of them alone had seen each other lose it. They would only lost it once in the time they would know each other, never to bring it out again. The day was unnaturally cold, their breath turning instantly into a visible fog. They had somehow found themselves at the back of the school building after school had ended. It was quiet, eerie, and it was clear that they were alone. Nothing was spoken but their little 10-year-old tension was tangible enough to be broken. They had all thought to themselves, 'I hate them so much. I wish they disappeared. died.'. It had been such a strain for them to hold their hate in. It was like trying to hold back a tsunami, to still an earthquake, to hold the weight of the world. It was impossible to keep in and it was three words that shattered a lot of things.

_"I hate you"_

If you asked them to recall who had said those three words, the five of them might politely refuse to answer or reply with a sharp retort. And each of them would all know that no matter how hard they thought, they would never be able to remember who had said them. They wouldn't even be able to clearly remember the aftermath, only the vaguest details of it all. They would remember how they had ended up on the hard ground. Neji with a broken arm, Sasuke with a broken, bleeding nose and twisted finger, Shikamaru with a broken ankle and fractured knee, Gaara with a slightly severe concussion, Naruto with a dislocated shoulder and badly sprained wrist, and all of them with multiple cuts. The ground had been rough, frozen with the early year cold and it had been harsh on them. They really had poured their hate on each other. They would try to stand for another hit, another kick, another punch, slap, or block, only to find that they didn't really have the heart for it anymore. There wasn't enough hate to really feel satisfied. And all they could do was sit and cry. When the police searched for them, hours later, they would find a group of broken 10 year olds, tear stained and slightly bloody. The one man who had discovered them would never forget the sight in front of him. It was clear that they had all fought but to see them leaning against each other, for warmth and for comfort, in their bloodied state was heart breaking. He couldn't ever guess what had happened a few hours before. And when that policeman found himself in his early deathbed, 6 years later, he would think of those boys and how they had smiled at him. He would think of what they had said to him, in their quiet kid voices.

"Sir, please take us home"

_Language Barriers_

_Querido- Spanish- a term of endearment_

_Accidenti- Italian- Dammit (rough translation)_

_Idiota- Italian- idiot_

_Bastardo- Italian- bastard_

_Mein Gott- German- my God (oh)_

_Fratello- Italian- brother_

**A/N: This is by far the longest chapter I've ever written. And story just keeps expanding by itself…their childhood as well as Gaara's story wasn't originally included but with the new chapter (Gaara's dad…) and some zoning out it just happened. Oh, 99 reviews guys, only one more to go. Anyone want the 100 OmakE? Its up for your taking, plot, characters, OC's, and all. **

**Until next chapter, which will be quite soon. (Fiance is approaching in a few)**

**Later.**


	24. Last chances, last hopes, last wishes

08:54

**Hello everyone, we've finally hit the next chapter, ne? This chapter is a bit rocky, since I haven't been all too easy with writing lately (I don't know why…) the 100****th**** review has also been hit by RoseTiger. If you have any ideas, please send them over in the next week or so. If not, then it's up to everyone else. I'll try to fit everything into one omake XD. Oh, and thanks to Fleur-de-Lys-Chan, who pointed out that, yes Tenten did have a sprained ankle. Let's say that it was iced down and healed, due to the fact that it was a minor sprain (and the fact that this is a fanfic).**

**Thanks to: Rose Tiger, Crestfallenfeline, Lizard Lover, owl7498, Simply Confusing, shelbycobra24, Emerald789, fullmetalbob, Azreal7313, Fleur-de-Lys-Chan, and Narutard-16. **

**Cheers**

Tenten spotted Neji entering and frowned, narrowing her amber eyes. The little bastard was still sulking over his 'fate'. At the brunette's side, Sakura sent a sidelong glance at Tenten. The pinkettes brow furrowed in slight worry. Tenten looked disturbed, almost annoyed.

"Hey" Sakura said, tapping her friend's shoulder.

Tenten glanced up lazily, a look of indifference splattered across her features. Sakura winced a little as she smiled sweetly.

"Ya?" Tenten replied, crossing her arms.

"What's up" Sakura asked innocently, knowing full well that nothing good was up.

"Nothing" Tenten said carefully in response, suddenly guarded of her emotions.

Hinata, who had come to their side, laughed a little at the bun haired teen. She turned to look at her cousin. Sasuke was talking to him, almost worried, and Naruto and Gaara had just returned from their search. Naruto was about to go pounce Neji until Shikamaru drew the blonde back roughly by the collar. The serious look on the usually lazy brunette's face brought Ino to attention. She came up from behind the three girls and whispered in their ears.

"What the hell is up?" she muttered "If even Shikamaru's all serious then…"

"No clue" Matsuri replied shortly.

Tenten's scowl only deepened at the thought. Neji was acting all depressed and emo.

'_Please'_ she thought _'get over your fate and move on. You've got other stuff to worry about, idiot'_

Kakashi had gotten off of the phone and he made his way over to the guys. He went straight to Neji and stared him dead in the eye, well, with the only eye he could use at the moment. Neji was a little creeped out but managed to hold the silver haired sensei's gaze.

"Neji, you okay?" Kakashi asked suspiciously.

Neji nodded silently and after a hesitant pause, he went over to his guitar and sat with it, his elbows resting on his knees and his back bent over. His long hair shielded most of his face and for some reason, all of the guys left him alone. On the girl's side, Hinata shook her head. The female Hyuuga understood what all five girls were watching.

"Oh no, Neji" she said.

Tenten turned to Hinata and raised an eyebrow. Maybe she knew about the entire fiancé situation. Being of the Hyuuga clan, she probably knew.

"Do you…" she started.

Then she thought better of it and immediately shut her mouth, stubbornly refusing to say anything else. The others were giving her weird looks but dismissed the drummer's mood as a simple thing. They were, after all, girls. Other bands had slowly trailed in during the time in which they had been waiting and random noises were creeping in from the stage. They could hear more and more people arriving, their chatter melting into a dull drone. It wasn't long before the sharp magnified voices of Kiba and Sai broke their concentrated thoughts.

"HELLO!" Kiba said into his mike "ARE YOU ALL READY FOR THE AWESOMEST STUFF YOU"VE EVER HEARD IN YOUR LIVES?"

The crowd responded with a huge roar that caused every band backstage to look through the open space that led to the stage. It seemed that almost everyone in the crowd held glowsticks, multiple glowsticks, food glowsticks, or some other type of glowstick.

"Damn" Ino breathed "I think I see a leek out there"

Sure enough, among the multi colored lights, someone was juggling glowsticks in the shape of leeks. Strangely, no one laughed or jested in return. Hinata was the only one who let out a shaky laugh that was barely there. Sakura, Tenten, and Matsuri simply sat, staring at the crowd. The light of the glowsticks shone in their eyes and a small sheen of anxiousness showed.

"Guys" Hinata said, quietly.

"Yeah?" replied Sakura, distracted.

The Hyuuga heiress waved a hand in front of their faces to bring their attention to her. When Tenten turned to see her bandmates, she saw nervous anticipation. Hinata coughed lightly before saying what she wanted to say.

"Guys, I'm scared" she said flatly.

There was a small silence between the girls as they realized that they too were scared. Ino sighed and fingered her bangs.

"I know" she replied "I'm scared too"

As the others murmured in agreement they heard Sai announce the first band to play for the judges.

"Knightmare!, please take the stage, it's do or die now!" the pale teen announced, making his way off the stage for the fairly large group.

Sakura looked up alarmed. They hadn't been given any mention at what order they were supposed to go up. Knightmare themselves had a slightly stunned look on their faces as they trooped onstage. The pinkette turned to Tenten, her emerald eyes narrowed.

"We never got anything telling us when we were going to go" she said.

Tenten frowned deeply. The brunette thought for a moment before catching sight of a backstage hand who was fiddling around with some soundboards.

"Um, excuse me but how are we supposed to know what order we're all going in?" she asked.

The stagehand blinked at the band and smiled cheerily. She motioned around the room with her free hand, one still on a soundboard.

"This round, the bands are going to be called up randomly. You'll never know when you guys are going up! Oh, as for the score system, you won't be getting your scores today, just your ranking at the very end of the show" she replied.

Tenten's eye twitched. The stagehand's cheery mood pissed her off. Didn't that idiot know what most bands had to do when they faced a huge crowd? Hm? Before Tenten could say anything else, Matsuri stepped in front of her and smiled nervously.

"Thanks" she said "We'll be going now"

The five girl went back to their small corner of the room and couldn't help but resort to sulking. Tenten crossed her arms and sat quietly, observing the others.

"Well, this helped our nerves" she mused.

Ino snorted, rolling her eyes. "These people really know how to work this contest thing" she said.

Sakura laughed and shook her head, a little nervous. Another band went upstage and she realized just how fast time was passing.

"I guess it doesn't matter when we go at this point, huh?" she said.

Matsuri shrugged and propped her head up on her hands, watching as band after band went up. Hinata was messing with her keyboard, which she had moved to her lap and the girls fell into some sort of stupor until a familiar name brought them back to reality.

"Or next band is…Ignorant Bliss!" Kiba said into his mike.

The girls all jumped up, at attention and grabbed their instruments close. Kakashi stepped over, wheeling Tenten's drum set which had been settled onto a platform.

"Let's do this" he said, yawning. "Go stun them"

The girls nodded earnestly and Tenten sighed as she took her drum set. Kakashi was looking expectantly at them and they took the cue to go onstage. Before they were fully in the light, they took one last look back. Kakashi and the guys were standing side by side, watching them. All of their eyes were lit with anticipation, if not worry. A shake of the silver haired sensei's head told them that they were not to look back again. With that, the girls walked upstage to huge amounts of cheering. They set up a little awkwardly and they took turns on the mike.

"As you've been told, w-we are Ignorant Bliss" Hinata said nervously into the mike over her keyboard, fidgeting with her fingers, putting the tips of her forefingers together.

"And the first song we're playing is…" Tenten started, propping her snare drum into the proper position.

"…Smashdown" Ino finished with a quick strum of her guitar.

There was applause and Kiba talked to the girls from the far side of the stage he was at.

"So girls, you nervous?" he said, asking the killer question.

Matsuri glared at the dag loving boy and all five girls sent him a look that clearly said: _'you will die today, tomorrow, and every day for the rest of your life'_. Instead of going on a killing him for the rest of his life, Sakura smiled innocently and laughed lightheartedly.

"Sure we are but we are going to blow you guys away" she said confidently.

Kiba chuckled, getting the message. "Of course. Thanks and this is Ignorant Bliss!"

The crowd roared and Ino dived right into their first chord, blasting it with the crowd to make it sound bigger. Then came Hinata and Tenten with their instruments, both accompanying the same melody that Ino played over and over. The entire song was an upbeat one from the very beginning. Sakura and Matsuri weren't playing yet but they stepped up to their mikes to sing.

_Lights flash _

_And you lie back_

_Start dreaming _

_About how hard it is_

_To think of _

_Yourself as_

_Anything but a failure_

Sakura started off the first half and Matsuri got the second half. Both started strumming their guitars immediately after the lines ended, adding into the background music. When they came back, Sakura was singing with Matsuri in harmony.

_You don't know_

_But you wonder_

_Just why you _

_Always laugh when you cry_

_But it all _

_Just ends up_

_The same way_

Tenten slammed at her drums, creating a build up in short equivalent hits and when the chorus started, all five girls were singing. Tenten and Ino had the melody, while Matsuri, Sakura, and Hinata held harmony.

_You get thrown around_

_They're smashing you down_

_Broken doors shattered windows_

_Punching fists highs and lows_

_And when its all over _

_The tears start coming when_

_You find yourself blinking_

_And laughing all over again_

All the girls quieted down before taking a quick pause and starting up on the same beat and note harmonization again. Hinata and Ino took to their mikes as the others kept on playing.

_There's fire _

_Through your window_

_But you just can't_

_Look out and see_

_For yourself_

_The horror_

_Of nothing_

Just like before, Hinata took the first half and Ino the second. The rest of their shared lines were in harmonization's, both switching back and forth in a complicated series of notes. Then the chorus happened again with all of them singing.

_It's raining_

_A little harder_

_Than yesterday_

_It's too hard to see_

_What's out there_

_Remaining_

_Of your laughter_

_You get thrown around_

_They're smashing you down_

_Broken doors shattered windows_

_Punching fists highs and lows_

_And when its all over _

_The tears start coming when_

_You find yourself blinking_

_And laughing all over again_

There was a short instrumental that flowed directly into the next lines of the song. It was just as upbeat as the rest of song and all of them found themselves playing harder. Tenten look the song by herself and the others had to make up for the loss of their strong drummer. Tenten started grinning as she sang loudly into her mike.

_Wish abut the things you wasted_

_Cry over the things you lost_

_Hope for the best to come over_

_The pain of the loss_

_Live about the joys to bring_

_Forget about the point to sing_

_And dream about the future_

_That you hold in your hands_

The last part of the song was accompanied by a floaty sound that erupted from Hinata's keys and a strong beat that was held by Tenten, Sakura, and Matsuri. Ino was fingering a rapid guitar solo that wove everything together.

_You get thrown around_

_Their smashing you down_

_Fixed doors polished windows_

_Ringing bells highs and lows_

_And when it's just started _

_The tears are all coming_

_And you find yourself blinking_

_And laughing all over again_

_All over again_

_Again_

The last _'again'_ ended in a perfect harmony that lead off into a quiet hum the same melody as the one Ino was playing at the beginning of the song. A few seconds after they had finished the crowd exploded into whoops and cheers. Someone threw a bouquet of glowstick roses and the girls picked them up, sniffing them as if they were real. Sai stepped from the shadows of the wings and smiled with his eyes.

"So" he said "I'm assuming that they blew you away"

The crowd yelled a response that was obviously good and Ignorant Bliss was dismissed, followed by the backup impact of the cheers of the crowd. When they entered the backstage wing they were met with silence. They awkwardly moved off to the side where they sighed with relief and kicked back behind a set of amps, hiding from the pressure of the other bands.

"I thought we were dead" Tenten said, throwing her drumsticks aside.

"Same" Sakura nodded, gently setting down her guitar and propping it up on an amp.

The pinkette took a gulp from her water bottle and set it down, wiping her mouth free of extra water droplets. They rested for a while, settling in the silence of their performance. To tell the truth they were pleased with it. It was a good song that they managed to perform flawlessly. Well, practice did do some of the work. Hinata, who had been observing the crowd for some time tapped at the girls. She could have sworn that she'd heard something.

"It's them next" she said, excitement and anticipation mixed into one.

"Who?" Ino asked, taking the top of her water bottle form her mouth as she spoke.

The girls turned to the room to see Akatsuki gather up their stuff and move on. The other bands in the room watched them in a stiff silence, laced with menace and respect. Akatsuki seemed to float on stage, and the many remembers of the band easily settled themselves into position. The crowd had heard quite a bit about Akatsuki, and their roars were loud and thunderous. Konan coughed lightly into the mike after checking that all her band mates had settled down.

"Hello (insert random town name here)" she said, a soft smile playing at her lips. "We are Akatsuki and we present to you 'Aspasia Bells'"

Kiba laughed easily from the sidelines and stepped off to the side, announcing the band one last time before clearing the stage to them.

"Yes, band number 7 is Akatsuki." he said.

The applause that followed was deafening and took minutes to calm down. If the wait affected Akatsuki at all, none of the members showed it. They were placid and calm, not showing any emotion at all. From the backroom Tenten looked at them, a little worried. She wondered what was going on under that mask. It unnerved her, and she knew that Akatsuki had something up their sleeves. The brunette glanced up to see that the guys had come closer, all peering out the door. Sasuke looked troubled, as well as all of the guys, Neji even more than usual.

"They're planning something" Neji muttered carefully.

Sasuke nodded in agreement and Tenten was satisfied. The other girls at her side were looking on anxiously. They all knew what they were waiting for. They were waiting for the impact that Akatsuki's music had when they started playing.

"Ready…." Sakura whispered.

"…go" finished Hinata, quietly folding her hands in her lap.

Sure enough, the minute the 'go' slipped out of Hinata's mouth, Zetsu's electric violin hit the first note of their song. It was a high, piercing, note that caused everyone to shudder. A smirk graced Zetsu's lips as he continued to play his intro. The sound of the clear violin was the only sound for about 30 seconds. Then he trailed off onto one high note again. The crowd was wondering if that was the end of the intro when all the instruments came in suddenly, each playing to their own beat. The resulting sound was deafening, almost titanic. The bass line was strong and melded into the background but was clearly there. The only really distinct sound was Zetsu's violin, which was pounding out a quick series of rapid notes. He seemed to be carrying the melody this time. Backstage, the members of AD and IB had recovered considerably quickly from the initial impact of the music.

"This is just like their regular songs, good, no doubt, but nothing different" Kakashi said from his seat on an amp.

Icha Icha Paradise, which had been held in one hand, had gone into hibernation in the silver haired sensei's pocket. His one eye showed a glint of expertise, as if he were a detective. Matsuri slowly nodded with Gaara in agreement. They could see nothing different, though the music was still pretty great. And then the vocals started. Sasuke jumped and jerked his head back towards the stage. It wasn't Konan who was singing with her vague voice, but Deidara. The crowd froze into a stunned silence as they stared at the blonde. He was still at his keys but he was singing through a mike that protruded over the top set of his keys. The blondes voice was deep and just barely rough at the edges. Otherwise, it was smooth and dark.

"Eeh?" Tenten gasped, leaning forwards and opening her eyes wider as if to make sure that Deidara was the one singing "Dei-nii can sing?"

The crowd had finally gotten over the shock and was cheering all over again, surprised in a good way about the sudden change in vocals. Deidara was smiling smugly as he continued to sing. He glanced once and Konan who nodded and joined him for the chorus of the song and as background harmony. She and Zetsu's violin sang around the same melody, accompanying Deidara. Neji smirked in grudging approval. Even after a few years, they never failed to surprise their listeners.

"So Deidara was their trump card" Gaara breathed, narrowing his eyes.

Shikamaru nodded and looked thoughtfully at the crowd. They loved it, true enough, and he had to admit that Akatsuki was doing very well. Ino sidled up to him and whispered in his ear.

"How good do you think you're chances are?" she asked.

The brunette shrugged in response. "Actually, I think we'll do alright. We are the Dark Horse in this competition, you know"

Ino laughed and rolled her eyes "No, that would be us, baka." She said, poking his shoulder.

After a final short note that built up and cut off abruptly, the song ended to thunderous applause. Then they went on to play their next two songs, which were great, but it was still clear that 'Aspasia Bells' had been meant to carry them to first place. Once they had finished, Sai smiled, one that caused the people who knew him to wonder whether it was real or not, and ran back on stage. The pale teen waved a hand in the direction of Akatsuki.

"All right" he said "One more time for Akatsuki!"

The crowd broke into applause, some even yelling for encores. Sai struggled to keep the look of annoyance clear from his face as Kiba ran up to his co-MC's side before the crowd got out of hand.

"Sorry guys, this is a competition, no encores right now" the brunette said.

He was met with a chorus of boos but the crowd grew relatively calm afterwards, much to the MCs' relief. Sai exited through the wings while Kiba announced the next band. He looked down at the cards in his hands and raised an eyebrow, a grin breaking across his face. He glanced over to the group of bands once before turning back to the crowd.

"Now, we have band number 8: Apocalyptic Death!" he said before running off the stage to make room for the band.

In the wings AD jumped with a start at their name. The five guys all looked at each other, determination and worry in their expressions. Kakashi sighed and ushered them up, pushing them to their instruments and off stage.

"Ok, guys, you're up. Kick ass and do good" he said, quickly.

Gaara looked back and nodded, Naruto giving the teacher a quick thumbs up. Then, without as much as a glance to the girls, they went to take their turn. Hinata looked worriedly at the retreating figures of the guys, her brow furrowing.

"I-I hope they're all right" she said. Then, she thought better and smiled softly "No, they will do better"

Ino nodded confidently and sat heavily on the floor, crossing her legs. Sakura sat next to her and the two looked to each, then Matsuri and Tenten.

"We…we'll do better too, right?" Sakura asked.

Tenten sighed and nodded affirmative. If they didn't do better, then she didn't know what else they would do.

As the guys settled on stage, Sasuke went up to the mike and introduced themselves shortly.

"Hey, we are Apocalyptic Death" he said

There a loud cheer from those who had heard them before, growing from the added shouts of those who were cheering just because others seemed to be cheering at the moment. Sasuke waited for them to quiet before continuing. Neji was still tuning his guitar and motioned at the Uchiha to go on without him for the moment.

"And the song we have for you today is 'Do and Die' written in the middle of our sleep and while we were high on cupcakes"

There was a smattering of laughter from the crowd and Sasuke smiled in return. When he turned around, he found that the rest of the band had gotten ready. They all nodded affirmative and Sasuke made way for Neji, who was to sing the first lines. The Hyuuga silently stepped up and the beginning notes of the song began. Once the beat had been made, Neji took his cue and was about to sing. He opened his mouth, took a breath

And…

Neji froze on stage. A sudden coldness had come over him and he couldn't move. His throat closed up and the smart Hyuuga could only describe this feeling as one word.

Fear.

He was afraid. Oh, hell yeah he was scared. It was an unusual feeling for him. He'd learned long ago how to control his emotions and to keep them to himself. In truth, he hadn't felt fear in a long time and the sudden come back of it shut down his senses. Sasuke looked at Neji, a worried frown crossing his face. Neji was always so confident, so why did he stop now?

There was an awkward moment where the others faltered with the instruments, finally slowing to a stop. Gaara tapped Neji's hand lightly.

"Go on" the redhead said quietly.

But Neji didn't seem to hear him, or anything else for that matter. Under the bright lights of the stage, he felt exposed. He felt like he was 5 years old again. Usually, Neji felt at home when he was playing music. It was his solace, and now, before his very eyes, everything changed. The crowd was growing restless and agitated, some were even yelling at Kiba and Sai to call up the next band. Several rival bands were yelling insults at them, and even though the guys took it calmly, the words stung. Kiba and Sai were trying to calm the crowd down but it was no use. The crowd was too big and spread out for anyone to hear what the MC's were saying over the loud noise. Some band had started a chant that spread quickly.

"OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT" they yelled, some pointing their glowsticks in their direction.

_'This isn't good'_ Kiba thought _'We might have to bring them out later if Neji doesn't start singing soon'_

The brunette sent a look to Sai who nodded in understanding. Sai reached for a mike and was about to speak into it when a loud voice carried over the crowd. A commotion in the back of the crowd drew their attention.

"YO NEJI"

Everyone swiveled to see a slim teen walking towards them, megaphone in one hand. The girl next to her was carrying an armload of vuvuzelas. As they walked towards the stage, the crowd parted for the strange pair. They recognized the girls. They were up on stage singing only just a while ago. When they were about half way to the stage, three more people came crashing through the crowd. They jumped for Tenten and Hinata, yelling as they went.

"YOU GUYS CAN DO IT!" Ino yelled into her megaphone, completely out of breath.

Sakura and Matsuri were huffing as they tried to explain to Tenten and Hinata in strangled voices.

"The...only store that sold megaphones and vuvuzelas... was...a mile away..." Sakura said, breathing heavily.

"Don't tell me that you ran all the way there" Hinata said, suddenly worried.

"We...lost the bus" Matsuri said, bluntly. "And...it was over priced"

Tenten rolled her eyes and smiled. She loved her friends and the kickass things they did but sometimes, she worried. She turned back to the stage and set her amber eyes dead on Neji's pale ones. What was that idiot thinking, freezing like that in such a big crowd when his career may be at stake. The brunette smirked at the thought of Neji's career being in danger. He was a Hyuuga, for the love of God. He'd probably never be without a career. Up on stage the guys were frozen, confused and a little lost. What the hell was going on? Sasuke looked a little uneasy from the unordered chaos in the crowd and Gaara was just as passive as usual, while Shikamaru worriedly frowned. The logical brunette was wondering how this commotion would affect their score this round. He hoped for the best. Still seated behind his drums, Naruto was the only one taking any good from this.

"Hinata, Ino, Tenten, Sakura, Matsuri!" he yelled his face turning red from exertion as he waved excitedly.

"NA-RU-TO!" the girls yelled simultaneously.

To Neji, the entire crowd dissipated into a white nothingness, leaving only Tenten in his view. The brunette had a scowl etched onto her face and was glaring kunai at Neji. The male Hyuuga almost winced from the sheer pressure of her gaze. Those burning amber eyes were smoldering with fire and, what Neji had just realized as, hope. She hoped for him to go on and win. Even if she hated him at the moment, some part of her wanted him and Gaara and Sasuke and Naruto and Shikamaru to win. Suddenly, a small fiery globe burst inside of Neji. It wasn't real, of course, but the warmth that spread through him was inevitable.

'_Why' _Neji mouthed, able to move again.

Tenten stared skeptically at him, her eyes still narrowed in a glare. Then her face calmed into satisfied contentment and she shrugged nonchalantly.

'_I forgive you'_ she mouthed back in return.

The loud 'BASTARD' that followed through the megaphone brought the crowd back to Neji. While Neji had been lost in his thoughts, Ino, Sakura, Matsuri, and Hinata had started a rousing chant in the back of the crowd.

"CAN THEY DO IT?" Matsuri asked.

There was a small silence in the crowd until Hinata bellowed into the vuvuzela. Everyone in a 15-foot radius winced from the impact. The loud sound didn't seem like it came from the delicate Hyuuga.

"HELL YES!" someone yelled, laughter in their voice.

The simple blast of a vuvuzela ran through the entire crowd and before they knew it, the girls were surrounded by a small group of people, all with their hands in the air, swinging around glowsticks.

"GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!" they all chanted.

If happiness were a fire that was shot from a vuvuzela then this would have been the time to prove it. Sakura ran around the crowd, using her megaphone to get people to catch on to the chant. Before they knew it, the entire crowd had turned to AD and was yelling for all they were worth.

"GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!"

When the girls were satisfied with the noise level, they paused for a moment to catch their breaths. Then Tenten looked to Ino and the blonde nodded, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. In a flash, Tenten had grabbed a vuvuzela from Matsuri's shopping bag and was at the side of the nearest concertgoer.

"Hey, want a vuvuzela?" she asked cheerfully. "It's 7 bucks, ne?"

The older teen she was holding out a blue and white vuvuzela to slapped the money into her hands and grabbed the vuvuzela. Tenten smirked and continued er mission. When she circled back to the rest of IB, she found them selling vuvuzelas as well.

"So, have we made profit?" she asked.

Hinata grinned widely as she motioned to the bills in her pocket.

"More than enough to pay off the bill and make some cash" she affirmed.

To the side, there was a sound of awe. A group of guys, in their late teens, had bought vuvuzelas and were dressing them up with any glowsticks they could find. When they had finished, they formed a line and began twirling the lit vuvuzelas in their hands, like sai swords. The spinning globes of light drew attention. They moved in sync and at the end of their routine, they all threw the vuvuzelas up to the guys on stage. They all ended up catching one, causing a few of the guys to whoop in approval. Naruto cackled delightedly before stripping the vuvuzela of all lights and moving them to his own instrument. Shikamaru sighed but grinned and began doing the same. Neji blinked uncertainly and look to see that Sasuke had come to his side. The Uchiha jerked his head to the crowd and smiled.

"Well, shall we?" he said, strapping on a bendy glowstick.

Neji laughed quietly and snapped on a few lights of his own. Then he turned back to this bandmates, a light in his eyes.

"Let's do this" he said firmly.

The beginning chords of AD's first song brought everyone to attention. The cheering drowned out almost all sound that only quieted when Neji and Sasuke stepped up to their mike, ready to sing.

"This is for a lot of people" Sasuke said.

"Especially you guys" Neji finished.

Then Naruto really got to the drums and started pounding out a strong beat, his blonde hair flying. Shikamaru leaned into his keys as Gaara's guitar line rose over the crowd. Neji nodded once at Sasuke and stepped closer to the mike.

_This is the last chance_

_This is the end of the road_

_This is a happenstance_

_For only us to know_

The Hyuuga's voice rang across the crowd, a bit of a shock, really. It was louder and more confident then in any of the songs in the rounds before. Sasuke breathed once before adding his cool, calm voice into harmony.

_And though we've said_

'_I know I love you'_

_We've only been lead_

_Ahead of our own hopes_

The 'I know I love you' was paired into a perfect, undeniable harmony that made every girl in the crowd grow quiet in a shock, before they either remained stunned or let loose a squeak. It had held so much feeling. Neji found himself looking into the crowd, wondering where that feeling had come from. Sasuke himself was wondering that as well and when he thought about it, he found himself thinking of his mother, his brother, and pale emerald eyes.

_It's do and die_

_This is the end_

_There's nothing else_

_To rip to mend_

_Please let us go_

_There's no shielding it_

_It's do and die_

_Or burn in flames_

As they sang _'It's do and die'_ they turned to each other. Neji flipped his mike into a gun and shot himself while Sasuke turned the mike over and stabbed himself. They both flopped dramatically and lay on the floor, laughing. Naruto cackled, tempted to throw a drumstick at them but kept playing. At one chord, all music suddenly stopped, only to be brought back up again. The guys hurriedly flipped up, Sasuke was singing solo this time.

_There's somewhere else_

_Where I belong_

_It's someplace close_

_A picture drawn_

Neji took his place and Sasuke waited patiently for his turn, looking back just once at the others. As his part came up, Neji closed his eyes and thought of fireflies.

_Another hope_

_I can't help but want_

_But to see it burn _

_My soul to haunt_

_It's do an die_

_This is the end_

_There's nothing else_

_To rip to mend_

_Please let us go_

_There's no shielding it_

_It's do and die_

_Or burn in flames_

There was short instrumental where Neji and Gaara played off each other in a complicated guitar solo. Fingers were flying as they concentrated on, not the notes, but the sound. The instrumental trailed off into a soft beat where only Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sasuke were playing.

_There's nothing here to say_

_That what I've done is wrong_

_Just do it anyway_

_Because the road's too long_

_I wish I had the heart_

_To throw it all away_

_But I can't but know to want_

_My own soul laid to rest_

A small pause, before a guitar and bass line started up quietly again. Neji and Sasuke were singly softly into their mikes, matching the tone of their instruments.

_It's do and die_

_This plain quiet world_

_With nothing else_

_To love or fear_

_To wish it home_

_Only to lie_

_The end is here_

_I've done to die_

The song ended to a soft ringing of Gaara's guitar, one note held out for a long time. The clapping that had kept beat to the entire song broke out into spastic applause and cheering.

"Thank you!" Neji said, putting an up and them swinging it down to present Naruto, Gaara, and Shikamaru.

Shikamaru pumped a fist and Gaara ninja-threw his glowsticks back into the crowd. Naruto managed to keep hold of his drumsticks sticks this time but when he looked down, he saw that all the lights had been flung off. A group right at the edge of the stage laughed and waved the retrieved glowsticks at the blonde. After a moment or two, Sai came out onto the stage, a real smile spreading across his face.

"Well then, ya like?" he asked the crowd.

A loud chorus of _'yes', 'yeah', 'ya', 'hell yeah'_ and several others were thrown at him. The pale teen chuckled before motioning to AD.

"Okay, let's give it up for Apocalyptic Death!" he said.

A loud whooping took over the crowd as well as more applause. Sai turned back to the guys and asked them about their next songs.

"So, what do you guys have next?" he asked.

The guys all looked to each other and instantly got the message. Sasuke looked at Sai and firmly gave his answer.

"Actually, Sai, I don't think here is another. This is it, so we hope you liked it"

Sai raised an eyebrow and turned to the judge's panel. Bee just nodded in approval while Bubbles Guy and 7 Tails agreed. Sai swung back to the crowd and put up his hands.

"Well, then, that's it for these guys" he said.

The guys nodded and exited the stage to more applause. When they stumbled back into the room, they were met with smiles. Several friendly bands went up to them to start some conversation until it was their time to go. By the time they were free from the room, they were stunned and exhausted. The five guys sat in a circle on a patch of sandy grass. Naruto fell and back stretched leisurely, moving his hands behind his head.

"That was amazing" he said contently.

Sasuke smiled brightly and couldn't help but let a laugh slip through his lips. The feeling had been beautiful. There was no other word to explain it. Neji, who was sitting next to him, was unusually quiet. Gaara sighed and smiled a little.

"I know." he said, looking up to the sky "I wish it wouldn't end"

Shikamaru smirked and grinned, almost to himself. He shook his head so that some loose strands of hair came free from his ponytail.

"It still hasn't for me" he replied "Ya, Neji. What's up?"

Neji looked up to see the rest of his band staring at him. He noticed that their eyes were alight with the thrill of performing. He wondered if he looked that that too.

"It was a good feeling, to be up there like that." He said. "I'm sorry I froze up"

Naruto knocked him on the arm, causing Neji to wince.

"Please, we made a comeback better than anything so by this point it doesn't matter!" he said cheerfully.

Neji smirked and sighed, releasing the pressure. He regretted many things he'd done today and there were more then one. Cheering exploded form the crowd below the stage and the guys looked back over their shoulders.

"So…should we head back?" Sasuke asked.

The five looked at each other, their faces thoughtful. And then they all grinned.

"Nah."

**BACKSTAGE**

Hinata sighed as the last band finished playing. They had been good, but not as nearly as good as they, or AD, had been. The girls had made their way backstage to listen to the last few bands before the end. The guys were nowhere to be found but Kakashi winked at them, telling them that they were all fine.

"Let them be" he said, finally pulling out Icha Icha Paradise again.

So the five of them settled down around some amps and munched on some snacks that Sakura had bought from a nearby convienience store.

"So, now what?" Tenten asked, grabbing for a chip.

"I dunno" Ino replied "They're about to announce the winners soon."

As they chatted and ate, they soon found themselves musing about animal crackers. Matsuri picked up a lion and peered at it thoughtfully.

"So" she said, holding it out for all to see "What should I do. Should I eat it's head first to save it from pain or should I torture it by eating it's legs of and them from the back and save the head for last?"

Tenten tapped her chin, deep in concentration. Then she grabbed her own koala shaped one and held a demonstration.

"Okay, so first you gotta scratch it's eyes out, so that it won't be able to see what you'll do. And then you eat off it's legs, and then you slice it in half, but not quite. And then you get the satisfaction of eating it in one go. The end!"

Sakura, Matsuri, Hinata, and Ino applauded politely. Then Ino pulled a pack of gummy bears from behind her back. Sakura lunged for the multicolored jellies but Ino pulled them away at the last second.

"Ah, ah, ah!" she said, grinning. "First, you gotta tell me your secrets"

And so the time went, eating gummy bears, torturing animal crackers, and pulling secrets form each other. The five of them hadn't noticed what time it was until the crowd's cheering told them that someone had gone on stage. Kiba and Sai took the stage again, 5 envelopes in their hands. Backstage, the bands were asked to remain in the room until they were call. If they were called, that is. Anticipation built up in the room and the crowd as Sai took hold of the first envelope and slid the card inside out. He looked out to see the crowd leaning forwards with anticipation and chuckled quietly to himself.

"In 5th place" he said, holding up the card to get better light "Is Prochaineko!"

The 4 person band went up stage and stood at the far end, receiving their polite applause with grace. Kiba went for the next card and stepped forwards to read it out.

"In 4th place…..is Ignorant Bliss!"

The girls all slowly turned to each other, eyes wide. 4th out of, what 50 or so, was nothing but it was good enough for them. Fourth place on their first competition against much more aged and experienced bands was, in fact, great.

"Holy shitbiscuit" Tenten breathed.

"Damn, we actually made it to the top five?" Sakura said, blinking.

"Yeah" replied Tenten.

"DAMN!" they both laughed as they crashed into each other.

They didn't care if anyone saw them. They didn't care if they were spazzing out over fourth place. None of them cared if they were given weird looks because they were celebrating. The five of them just hugged each other and laughed at the simple idiocy.

"Fourth place" Matsuri mused, still caught up with their group hug "It sounds like a choir of angels, ne?"

The other girls laughed and made their way onto the stage, bowing dramatically to their cheers. Kiba grinned at them and flashed a thumbs up. Then he let Sai take over again.

"Now" he said "We're calling the top three bands up, in random order. We have: Matryoshka, Akatsuki, and Apocalyptic Death!"

The three bands came onstage to a tense pressure. Kiba and Sai stood in front of them, mischievous smiles on their faces. Three cards were held in Kiba's hands. The two opened them together and read them over, their faces in practiced deadpans.

"And now…" Sai started with

"The moment you have all been waiting for…." Kiba said.

"The winner of KMC's first Band Smash Off and winner of 50,000 dollars, a record deal with KMC and a public exhibition is…." Sai paused for dramatic affect.

Someone in the crowd yelled for them to just get it done and over with an Sai frowned, tapping his foot lightly as he checked his phone to see how long had gone by. Then, totally out of the blue, the two MCs burst out with the answer.

"…AKATSUKI!"

Cheering exploded from the people and the other bands applauded politely. AD exchanged looks that clearly said: '_sorry we didn't make it, but we did try'_. Kiba announced the rest of the places after he could be heard.

"In second place we have Apocalyptic Death and in third we have Matryoshka" he said.

There was more applause but the two put up their hands to silence the crowd.

"But….there's has been an intervention" Kiba said mysteriously, raising his eyebrows to heighten the effect.

"Due to the fact that our first place band, Akatsuki, already has a record deal of their own…the first place prize of the record deal as well as the public exhibition will go to second place. The 50,000 dollars will still be in Akatsuki's hands, though"

There was a silence. Second place? Wait, that was AD. Sasuke turned to Neji his disappointed expression melting into one of open mouthed shock. Neji mirrored him and the two swiveled to look at Naruto, Shikamaru, and Gaara. Naruto was shaking Shikamaru's shoulders roughly as he screamed silently.

"My Kami" Gaara whispered, breaking the silence.

That caused everyone to laugh and more applause was followed by cheering. Akatsuki bowed once, their red and black outfits creating a smooth wave. They stood elegantly off to the side until they walked off to the yells of the crowd. Then AD had their turn and the noise swelled up again. Naruto jumped in the air with a whoop until Sasuke and Shikamaru pulled him down. The guys bowed awkwardly and they exited with a group thank you'. The moment they stepped off and out of the light, they were ambushed.

"AHH!" Matsuri yelled as she crashed into Gaara, wrapping her arms around him.

Stunned, the redhead, smiled and patted her once softly on the head. Sakura hesitated for a moment but only a split second after Matsuri had ran for Gaara, she charged for Sasuke. Instead of hugging him though, she punched him in the gut.

"You did it!" she yelled happily. "You did it Duck Ass!"

Sasuke doubled over from the impact but laughed in response. A light blush spread across his cheeks as he thanked her. Sakura raised her eyebrows and continuously found ways to tease him. Shikamaru had gotten hold of the situation and was hurriedly making for the door when Ino pulled off one of her tackles and got him just as he reached for the door handle. The two landed on the floor in front of the door. Ino had accidently managed to pull the brunette's hair out of the ponytail as they had landed. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and put a hand to his forehead, pushing his hair back.

"Troublesome woman" he said, smiling.

Ino laughed and continued to punch him as he struggled to get up. Neji had fallen back a little from the group and was silent. Tenten was standing directly in front of him, several feet away. The two didn't move, both just looking at each other. They remained that way for a long time, until the others of their bands had dragged them off. The other bands congratulated them, some grudgingly while others completely honest. Adaleia came up and Temari smothered her brother with a hug that was so out of character that Gaara jumped back. Temari rolled her eyes and settled down, resuming her cool but fiery character. Kankuro gave them all a good pat (hit) on the backs and Dai merely smiled his congratulations. When they had moved on, they revealed the fairly large group of Akatsuki. Pein stepped forwards, looking almost amused.

"You did well" he said.

The guys stared at the other band, wondering if it was some sort of ploy. And then they noticed that they had nothing up their sleeves. Neji stood forwards and held out a hand. Pein looked at it and then shook it firmly. Tenten peeked out from behind the guys and spotted Deidara. She ran up to his side and stared him down.

"You never said that you could sing" she said.

Deidara chuckled and ruffled her hair, looking almost fond of her.

"I didn't either" he replied.

Akatsuki and the guys shook hands for the sake of good sportsmanship and they parted.

"Until we meet again, then" Konan said, her eyes calm and steady "It'll be nice to face you off in the future"

"Likewise. It'd be an honor" Gaara responded.

Then Akatsuki walked away to gather their instruments and head off to wherever they were currently staying. The large band had the habit of moving around often, so much that no one ever really knew where they were and when. The last to go was Kisame and he turned around to face the guys one more time.

"By the way" he said seriously "Itachi would have been proud, Sasuke"

Sasuke frowned and tried to mask it but everyone saw. Kisame smirked, amused at the younger Uchiha's reaction and made his way towards the remainder of his band. The tension that had been there for a moment quickly dissipated and they returned to their former cheerfulness. Just when they were about to settle on what to do next someone's phone rang. Shikamaru had gotten a call from Tsunade and they all crowded around the small phone to hear.

"Hello?" the brunette said into the speaker, motioning for silence.

"…YOU DID IT!"

The 10 teens winced from the impact of Tsunade's voice, which was elevated with elation. They all looked at each other before turning back to the phone. There was a slight scuffle, through which they could hear the voices of Jiraiya and Kakashi. Tsunade finally got back on the phone, a little calmer.

"All of you, well, I'm assuming that all of you are there, did very well today. 4th and 2nd place is a big thing for our school. Especially since the idiots of AD managed to snare first place prize. Now, we need to talk and regroup so you guys need to head over to Zion. Got it? I'll see you all i-STOP HARRASSING THOSE LADIES-in just a little wh-"

The line cut off into a dial tone that left the ten teen staring weirdly at the phone. Even now, they could just barely sense the impact of Tsunade's punch in Jiraiya's gut. Shikamaru flipped his phone shut with a snap and they all turned back into a circle, even if it was a terribly formed circle.

"Well..." Tenten said, slowly "…now what?"

Sasuke shrugged contentedly "We gotta go to Zion now, I guess."

The Uchiha clapped his hands together like an alchemist and they all decided that after they had packed up their instruments, they would meet outside and then go to Zion. With that, they broke up to their individual instruments and got working. Sakura, Ino, and Matsuri easily packed up and went outside to load their stuff into the bus. Unfortunately, the idiot driver had parked the bus at the bottom of a low hill and they had to walk down it. Hinata was next and though she struggled a little with the size of the board, she managed to get it down their with the help of Naruto. Tenten was last, and when she saw that she was going to take some time with her set, she told the others to go on without her. They nodded and ran back up the hill where the rest of the group was waiting. Tenten watched them goo back and shook her head, causing some extra strands of hair to come loose from her hair ties. She felt at peace now, compared to the events of what had happened only hours before. It was amazing what a few good things could do. Placing 4th, the guys placing 2nd, the guys getting first place prizes and most of all, the music. Those were things that she loved and it was during times like these that Tenten loved her life. These were the moments that were worth living. Tenten was struggled to load her drum set into the top shelf in the back of the van. The entire bottom area had been occupied and she was straining to balance the snare up.

"Why is this so damn high up" she muttered, standing on her toes.

She was about to give a final push to set the drum in when her foot slipped on the slick grass. She quickly righted herself and only noticed the warm pressure on the small of her back. She quickly turned to see Neji, a hand outstretched.

"Um" she said, awkwardly.

Neji quickly withdrew his hand and stuffed them into his pockets. He didn't meet her eyes and the two stood there.

"If you're going to tell me something, you might as well say it now." Tenten said shortly, crossing her arms.

Neji sighed and shook the hair out of his eyes. He looked up suddenly, pale lavender eyes meeting sharp amber.

"I'm sorry" he said.

Tenten raised an eyebrow and blinked. Neji had just said sorry to her.

"Are you really?" Tenten asked, earnestly.

A light blush brushed across his cheeks as he looked away, embarrassed. Tenten smiled to herself.

"I really am, idiot"

Tenten laughed and punched him roughly in the arm. She'd forgiven him, and she really didn't know why, but it felt good. She kept hitting him as he began to fend off her attacks.

"You" she said, punching him with every word "Are such a stuck up bastard"

A smile pulled at the corners of Neji's lips as he blocked a fist, stepping back in a smooth fluid movement. Tenten fell into battle stance and swung her leg up in a roundhouse kicked. Neji used the back of his wrist to block her foot and twisted it across, flipping her. Before she hit the ground, Neji swooped in and caught her. Tenten twisted and flipped over and out of his arms, landing neatly. She laughed, cackled almost, and ran further down the hill before turning back and almost placing a hit on him. The entire battle, she realized, was full of almosts. They came close to really hurting each other but they never did. They knew better then that now. They kept sparring for a while, until both of them ended up on the grass, breathing heavily.

"Do you feel better now?" Tenten asked, flopping.

"Considerably better" Neji replied.

"Good" she said, stretching lazily.

The two lay in the grass for several minutes, not speaking. A cool breeze whipped around their figures as they looked up. Stars littered the sky and though the light from the city marred their vision, some were still brightly lit. After a while, Tenten sat up and yawned. She got up, brushed the grass from her clothes, and offered a hand to Neji. He accepted it and she hauled him up.

"Isn't the guy supposed to help the girl?" he asked.

Tenten smirked. "In this situation, you are the girl, Ice Bitch."

Neji 'hn'ed his response and they both made their way back to the groups. On top of the hill, Sakura was waving a hand at them.

"Get over here!" she yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth to magnify the sound.

Tenten laughed a rushed on ahead, speeding into a sprint. Her figure against the dark sky was free flying. As Neji watched her retreating figure, he sighed and relaxed. And he accepted the feeling in his heart, as something more than just a thought.

**A/N: That's right, guys, Nejiten is happening. Almost there, if only Tenten will finally get the point. Hm, Neji has to chase after Tenten now….mwahahahaha. Oh, I love making the Hyuuga do all the work XD. Well, then, thank you for reading and please review! The plot bunnies have come back but they are rebelling…their cage made of reviews and the fourth wall is starting to cave in!**


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